World

Dozens hurt as two high-speed trains collide in Philadelphia

August 22, 2017

UPPER DARBY, Pennsylvania — A regional rail train crashed into a parked train at a suburban Philadelphia terminal early Tuesday morning, injuring dozens of passengers and the train’s operator, a regional rail spokeswoman said.

Rail spokeswoman Heather Redfern said none of the 42 people hurt in the crash suffered life-threatening injuries.

An inbound Norristown High Speed train crashed into an unoccupied train at the 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby around 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday. Redfern said hours later that the train operator had been treated at a hospital and released.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority officials are investigating the cause.

Redfern said Norristown trains resumed normal operation but no express trains were running. She said commuters could expect some delays.

In an earlier news briefing, Upper Darby Mayor Nicholas Micozzie said the injured were taken to local hospitals.

One passenger told reporters that the operator of the train was “all banged up” and the scene was bloody.

In February, four people were injured in a crash near the 69th Street Terminal involving three out-of-service commuter trains. At the time, SEPTA said one train rear-ended another on a loop where trains turn around to get back into service. Cars from that accident derailed and hit a third train on nearby tracks.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority officials are investigating the cause.

The US rail network suffers from chronic underfunding and accidents are not infrequent, particularly on the busy East Coast corridor. — Agencies


August 22, 2017
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