A person was struck by an Amtrak train Wednesday afternoon near Glenolden Station in Delaware County, prompting SEPTA to suspend its Wilmington/Newark Regional Rail Line until further notice. The transit agency sent out an alert just after 2 p.m. informing riders of the shutdown, with no word yet on when service might resume.
According to 6abc.com, the strike happened near the Glenolden station, and officials have not released any immediate information about how the person ended up on the tracks. The outlet also reported that the Wilmington/Newark Regional Rail Line is currently suspended until further notice, leaving commuters along the corridor to find other ways to get where they're going.
As NBC10 Philadelphia reported, SEPTA announced the incident Wednesday around 2 p.m. and has directed affected riders to alternate routes posted on its website. The agency has not disclosed the victim's condition.
Injury Severity Still Unknown
PHL17 confirmed that SEPTA's alert went out just after 2 p.m., stating the suspension would remain in effect until further notice. The station's report also noted that officials did not specify the severity of the victim's injuries, leaving riders and anyone following the incident without clarity on the person's condition.
That uncertainty extends to the basic circumstances of the incident. No agency has released details on how the person came to be on the tracks near the station, and nothing in the available reporting indicates when normal service along the line will resume.
Not the First Strike Near Glenolden
Train strikes near this stretch of track aren't without precedent. A 2010 report from the Delco Times described an unidentified man being hit by a northbound Amtrak train near the Glenolden SEPTA station shortly before midnight on a Friday. That earlier incident, which is a separate historical event with no established connection to Wednesday's strike, delayed the high-speed line for two and a half hours, though no injuries were reported among the 209 passengers aboard at the time.
For now, riders on the Wilmington/Newark Regional Rail Line are being told to check SEPTA's website for alternate routes while the investigation into Wednesday's incident continues. No additional details on the person's identity or condition have been made public.
