PATCO probing breakdown of refurbed train
PATCO is investigating why its recently refurbished train broke down on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge as the evening rush started Wednesday.
PATCO is investigating why its recently refurbished train broke down on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge as the evening rush started Wednesday.
The train became disabled shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday, halting service for 20 minutes so the train could be moved.
The transit agency said Thursday morning that the issue remained under investigation, but that the traction motors had been ruled out as the cause.
The disabled train had been traveling east, and was made up of PATCO's newly refurbished rail cars.
The first group of the long-delayed and highly anticipated revamped cars rolled out in late May. The new cars have been popular among commuters, and the agency has often posted on social media when the refurbished trains are scheduled to run. Some Twitter users have been using the hashtag #UnicornTrain in posts about the new cars.
The agency also garnered criticism Wednesday for delayed e-mail alerts about the disabled train.
PATCO posted on Twitter that the train was cleared and service was beginning to run again with delays at 5:13 p.m.
But commuters signed up for e-mail alerts didn't receive a notification until after 5:20 p.m., when the agency said it had shut down service for 20 minutes and riders should expect residual delays.
Normal service resumed about 5:40 p.m.
