NTSB investigating after SEPTA train bursts into flames near station in Ridley Park, Pa.
RIDLEY PARK, Pa. (WPVI) -- The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the fire that consumed part of a SEPTA train on Thursday night in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
The NTSB said in a social media post on Friday that it is sending a team to Ridley Park.
Part of the train on SEPTA's Wilmington-Newark Regional Rail line burst into flames near the Crum Lynne Station as it was traveling from Philadelphia to Wilmington, Delaware around 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The six-car train was carrying roughly 350 people when the fire began. Everyone was able to evacuate and no injuries were reported.
Passengers say they smelled smoke after leaving 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
"I could smell a weird smoky, sulfury smell," recalled Cynthia Kayati of Smyrna, Delaware. "I thought it was the train, normal stuff, but it was getting really strong especially as we got to Crum Lynne."
"I started to smell it too after a little while. I think we got two stations down from here and then people were really starting to notice it, starting to panic a little bit," added Alvan Hurley of Newark.
The smell of smoke got stronger, passengers said. They told us the train stopped once, people were moved to the back, and then it kept going.
"We stopped and kept going. That was the most dangerous part. We should've just stopped. Period," said Julius Stripling of West Philadelphia.
The train traveled past nine stops before conductors onboard evacuated everyone near the Crum Lynne station.
SEPTA officials believe the fire was mostly burning under the first car of the train, but they're still working to determine what caused it.
"The crew will be interviewed. Everything will be looked at as much, as we can get from our cameras. We'll look at all that as part of the investigation," said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.
Service was halted for several hours before it resumed just after 11 p.m.
Amtrak service along the Northeast Corridor was also temporarily impacted but have since resumed.
