Roughly 350 passengers faced an unexpected halt when a SEPTA train traveling from Philadelphia to Delaware was swiftly evacuated due to a fire in Delaware County. The incident occurred on Thursday evening near Crum Lynne Station in Ridley Park, as reported by FOX 5 DC. According to a passenger's account, the situation turned urgent when the car they were in began to emit a strange odor, followed by smoke that eventually led to the train's evacuation.
Passenger Dnasia Buckner described to FOX 5 DC that people had to "relocate to another car and then we had to get up and relocate again" before noticing smoke and being informed by fellow passengers that the train was on fire. Despite this, conductors initially did not announce anything. The fire reportedly originated underneath the first car, and SEPTA, along with Amtrak which owns the track, are still determining whether it was the engine or an object on the track that caused the blaze.
SEPTA's Director of Media Relations, Andrew Busch, informed CBS News Philadelphia that the crew acted quickly to evacuate all passengers, and luckily no injuries were reported. It was notably after the evacuation that crew members saw the first car engulfed in flames. SEPTA service and Amtrak service between Philadelphia and Wilmington, which were briefly interrupted, have since resumed, although some delays persisted.
Passengers recounted to Action News that the ordeal began minutes after the train left Philadelphia, with several reporting a distinct sulfur smell. The train made an unplanned stop, and passengers were urged to move to the rear before reaching a final stop and evacuating. The cause of the fire is currently still being investigated, with SEPTA looking into the incident and reviewing the actions taken during the emergency.
After a brief suspension, services were back on track just after 11 p.m. The quick response of SEPTA crew members received praise from passengers for ensuring safety during a potentially dangerous situation. "I think they do an amazing job of making sure we're good," a passenger named Cynthia Kayati told Action News. Shuttle buses were provided by SEPTA to assist those affected by the incident.
