SEPTA train derails along Market-Frankford Line

NORTHERN LIBERTIES (WPVI) -- The Market-Frankford Line has resumed normal service Saturday night after a partial trail derailment earlier today.

The shuttles are making all stops on the Market-Frankford Line between 8th and Berks, both eastbound and westbound.

At SEPTA's 8th and Market Street stop, police directed eastbound Market Frankford Line riders to waiting shuttle buses.

Angela Hardy of West Oak Lane said, "We was coming from Penn's Landing, so we had to walk all the way up here, because the trains is messed up down there."

"It's a really big inconvenience right now," another passenger said.

The incident occurred at approximately 11 a.m. Saturday near the Spring Garden Station.

There were an estimated 30 passengers on the train at the time of the derailment.

The train was heading eastbound from Center City to the Frankford Transportation Center when it came to a halt near the Spring Garden stop.

Sherrie Davis from West Philadelphia was a passenger on that train.

She said, "As we came out of the tunnel, the car derailed. I thought it was about to tip over and go on to the expressway actually. I've really never been so scared and shaken up in my entire life."

After walking to safety, passengers were ushered onto waiting shuttles.

Shontai Sterling of Southwest Philadelphia said, "We waited for them to turn the power off. And once they turned the power off, we were able to walk through the tracks. The firefighters were there and police officers were there. But we didn't know the front car derailed until we actually had to walk through the car that derailed."

SEPTA says medics tended to one person, who was suffering from heat exhaustion.

There were no other injuries reported.

In a statement released by SEPTA:

"Officials say at the time, the cars were operating on a single track system due to construction. The train was crossing over from the eastbound to westbound sides when the lead car partially derailed, and the train was traveling at a slow rate of speed.

In recent months, SEPTA has had two other incidents, both at Upper Darby's 69th Street Station, then a crash in August on the Norristown High Speed Line, which injured 33 people. And in February, a derailment and crash that injured four.

The NTSB did not respond to today's partial derailment, and will not be called in to investigate.

However, SEPTA will continue investigating the incident.

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