By Bonnie L. Cook and Paul Nussbaum
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — An electrical malfunction and fire on the PATCO High-Speed Line tracks yesterday forced a six-car train to stop on the Ben Franklin Bridge, stranding 51 passengers for several hours, authorities said.
That caused significant delays at rush hour for PATCO commuters in both directions as well as for motorists, who sat in traffic when two of the usual three westbound lanes over the bridge were closed.
Sparks from a component on the electrified third rail ignited rail ties along the westbound tracks at 3:05 p.m., causing PATCO operators to turn off the power that propels the trains, spokesman Ed Kasuba said.
The fire was extinguished, and the passengers on the train were moved to the front two cars shortly before 5 p.m., Kasuba said.
PATCO turned on power long enough to permit the two cars to continue into Philadelphia, where passengers were discharged at various stations, including Eighth and Market Streets.
No one was injured, although a pregnant woman and an asthmatic man were taken to Pennsylvania Hospital as a precaution. Fire Department spokesman Derrick Sawyer said the two, who were not identified, were in good condition late yesterday.
Full service on the PATCO line was restored by 7 p.m. after firefighters were certain the fire would not rekindle in the ties, which are treated with creosote.
PATCO officials conducted a safety inspection on the four train cars left standing on the bridge on the Philadelphia side before moving them out of the way.
Sawyer said the passengers were calm through their ordeal. Kasuba said PATCO operators opened car doors to allow circulation of air, and told passengers what was happening.
“There was never any smoke in the train,” Kasuba said. “The car was never on fire. The sparks were on the track.” He said the train was stopped “as a precaution.”
It was not immediately clear what caused the sparks from the “shoe,” a connector that carries power from the third rail along the track bed to the train car, Kasuba said.
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