In a grim sequence of events for Pennsylvania's rail lines, Amtrak service between Philadelphia and New York was disrupted yesterday evening after a train near Bristol Station struck and killed three family members, as confirmed by the Bristol Borough Police Department; the halt lasted several hours with service eventually resuming later that night, but not without residual delays and restrictions, CBS News Philadelphia reports.
The casualties occurred close to 6 p.m. when an Amtrak Acela express, making its way from Boston to Richmond, intersected fatally with the victims on the tracks, leading to the temporary suspension of rail services as local authorities, along with Amtrak, began their investigations, an incident which left none of the 236 passengers or crew aboard the train injured, but suspended services causing travelers to be shuttled to alternative stations and eliciting a choked network that threw off commutes and travel plans alike, Gothamist reported.
Bristol Borough Police Chief Joseph Moors didn't mince words when he termed the accident as a "horrific tragedy," while a local resident, Ashley Spencer, recounted the traumatic sound of the train's brakes screeching in vain; this incident comes on the heels of another pedestrian fatality involving an Amtrak train earlier in the week in the same county, creating a stark backdrop for regional rail safety concerns, as detailed by the CBS News Philadelphia.
As the region grapples with this successive bout of tragic incidents, SEPTA's West Trenton line also saw suspensions, prompting advisories for riders to seek alternative routes which are detailed on SEPTA's website thus compounding the travel disruptions residents faced, according to CBS News Philadelphia, Amtrak's update following the incident reassured travelers that trains are running again, but at reduced speeds.
