SEPTA Train Knocks Down Live Wires, Trapping Passengers and Igniting Fire in Norristown

UPDATE: [04/10/13; 12:10 a.m.] SEPTA's Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail line was disabled for nearly four hours on Tuesday after the train knocked down wires going through the Ford Street crossing at East Washington Street.

The incident occurred sometime around 10:30 a.m., and according to Norristown Fire Chief Thomas O'Donnell, the downed wires ignited a fire along Washington Street heading towards the industrial businesses in the area. Wires also electrified a fence at the sewage treatment plant and trapped a man inside his car at the crossing. Firefighters who were training in the area at the time of the incident were also trapped by downed wires for a time.

More than two dozen passengers on the train at the time of the incident were trapped in the train car for almost 45 minutes while responders and crews from SEPTA, PECO and Verizon worked to kill power to the lines and ground the cars. Passengers were eventually escorted off the train and into waiting SEPTA buses for transport to their destinations. No one was reported injured in the incident. 

Local businesses close to the intersection were evacuated for a time while authorities dealt with the fire threat.

A SEPTA official told Patch that a telephone line was the original cause of the trouble, landing on live power lines and disabling the train. Service on the Manayunk/Norristown line was suspended and buses shuttled riders between the Conshohocken and Norristown stops until service was resumed sometime after 2 p.m. 

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Original story:

Last updated 12:12 p.m.

Emergency responders are at Ford Street and E. Washington Street in Norristown, where a SEPTA high speed line train has pulled down some electrical wires.

Fire officials said that a man is trapped in his car on the Washington Street side of the grade crossing. One of the live wires is said to be draped across his car. Rescuers are trying to determine how to safely ground the car so that the man can exit the vehicle.

The accident took place as a firefighter training exercise was taking place near buildings along the river, and several firefighters are said to be "pinned down" by the live wires in the vicinity of the trapped motorist.

After a delay of about 45 minutes, passengers were escorted off the train and onto a waiting SEPTA bus. There were no apparent injuries to any passengers.

Fire officials additionally said that the wires electrified a fence that runs adjacent to several Washington Street businesses, starting a brush fire that required those businesses to be evacuated.

This is a developing story.