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SEPTA Train Fire "Accidental"

By Karen Araiza

| Thursday, Nov 5, 2009 | Updated 12:43 PM EDT

The front car on SEPTA's R5 regional rail line caught fire leaving the Overbrook Station on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. It was the second day of a strike by TWU Local 234.

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Fire on SEPTA Train

A SEPTA train caught fire on the tracks near Overbrook Station on Wednesday morning. Passengers had to be evacuated.

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Fire on SEPTA Train

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The SEPTA train fire that panicked passengers and made an already chaotic and crowded morning commute even worse, was not strike-related, according to SEPTA officials.

The front car of an R5 train caught fire just south of the Overbrook Station in West Philadelphia Wednesday morning.

It was Day 2 of the strike by SEPTA's largest union.

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The fire was caused by an electrical malfunction and was accidental, SEPTA officials said.

The train car caught fire just after 7 a.m. An engineer raised up a seat in the front car and saw flames shortly after the R5 left the station.

More than 600 passengers were evacuated from the R5 and another nearby train. Quite a few walked to work.

Service was disrupted for nearly three hours.

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