SEPTA restores Regional Rail service after derailment caused major delays
There were no reported injuries in the derailment of a Manyunk/ Norristown train shortly after midnight Wednesday.
SEPTA restored Regional Rail service at 3 p.m. Wednesday after major disruptions caused by the midnight derailment of a Manayunk/Norristown train in North Philadelphia.
Residual delays were expected as the system recovered.
No injuries were reported when the outbound train went off the rails at the 16th Street Interlocking shortly after midnight, according to SEPTA.
The incident is under investigation. Crews repaired track damaged in the incident, transit agency spokesperson Andrew Busch said.
Three suspended lines reopened: Manayunk/Norristown, with 7,779 average daily riders; Fox Chase (2,473 riders) and Chestnut Hill East (3,042 riders).
On other lines where service was reduced, trains resumed serving all stations, Busch said.
The accident
The four-car train was traveling less than 15 mph and carrying 47 passengers and three crew members when the rear axle of the third car derailed just after midnight. Busch said the people aboard declined medical treatment.
A nearby train brought the passengers to Wayne Junction Station. A shuttle bus pulled out shortly after 1 a.m. and completed the rest of the stops along the Manayunk/Norristown line, Busch said.
SEPTA crews got the train back on the track and moved around 7 a.m.
Rail workers also were checking the components of the interlocking, a linked system of signals and switches that allows trains to move from one set of rails to another at a junction.
Given that the derailment happened in the overnight hours, officials so far do not think that heat was a factor, Busch said. Extreme heat can warp railroad tracks.
Elsewhere
The Wednesday delays came on a particularly challenging day for traversing the region. In Old City, road closures abounded as the city celebrated Wawa Welcome America’s Hoagie Day, beginning at noon.
This is the second train derailment in as many days. A CSX freight train derailed in Bucks County Tuesday evening, causing SEPTA delays that were later resolved. There were no injuries reported.
