PATCO says Tuesday trains will run modified schedule after service outage

The PATCO Hi-Speedline will run on a modified schedule Tuesday, one day after a train struck a downed electrical pole, injuring four passengers and forcing the transit agency to stop all service for much of the day.

Some service had been restored in time for Monday's evening rush, but repairs at the accident scene west of Ferry Avenue in Camden are expected to impact commuters on Tuesday, PATCO officials said.

"We resumed limited service Monday afternoon with trains running every 18 minutes," said John Hanson, PATCO president and CEO of PATCO's parent organization, the Delaware River Port Authority. "We apologize for the significant inconvenience this has caused our customers. As always, our first and foremost concern is the safety of our riders.”

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The outage, which started about 5:30 a.m. Monday, could cost the transit agency as much as $65,000 in revenue, according to a PATCO estimate involving the line's average 19,000 (one-way) passengers.

The service stop likely cost Camden resident Kiyan Queensberry a day's pay.

Queensberry didn't know service was stalled until he arrived at the Ferry Avenue station at 2 p.m., looking to hop the train to his night shift job in Lindenwold.

"This is a total inconvenience, I could take the No. 403 New Jersey Transit bus that stops here regularly, but by the time I get it and I would get to Lindenwold, I would be two hours late for work, so I'm going to have to end up calling out for work," he said.

NJ Transit honored PATCO tickets during the service suspension and a free shuttle also carried passengers between Ferry Avenue and Broadway.

Retired teacher John Collier of Mount Laurel boarded the shuttle bus at Ferry around 10 a.m. Monday in order to take PATCO from Broadway into Philadelphia for a doctor's appointment.

"I was only a few minutes late getting there, so it was not that much of a problem," he said upon returning to Ferry station on the shuttle about 2:10 p.m.

Hanson said trains resumed westbound from Lindenwold Station Monday beginning at 3:54 p.m., Monday and eastbound from 15th/16th and Locust streets Station in Philadelphia around 4:41 p.m.

"Our initial investigation indicates that an electrical pole was struck by a Conrail train on an adjacent track and that the conduit, which had been attached to the pole, fell as a result," Hanson said of the incident that caused Monday's delays.

Conrail tracks are above and to one side of the PATCO tracks in that area.

“At approximately 5:29 a.m., a PATCO train traveling eastbound near the Ferry Avenue Station, struck the electrical conduit that was hanging in close proximity to the track," Hanson continued.

"Upon impact, the PATCO train operator activated the emergency braking system, as required by our standard operating procedure. The train rapidly decelerated and came to a stop."

He said contact between the train and the electrical conduit resulted in some sparking, which led to the inaccurate accounts of a fire on the train. The train was carrying 23 passengers, eight of whom were PATCO employees reporting to work.

Hanson said four riders suffered minor injuries as a result of the abrupt deceleration though no other injury details were released.

"As repairs continue, we also anticipate that tomorrow’s rush hour schedule will be impacted, with trains running less frequently," Hanson added Monday.

Six-car trains will operate every 10 to 15 minutes from 5 a.m. until 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and then every 10 minutes out of Lindenwold until 8:50 a.m. Philadelphia service from 15/16th & Locust streets will be every 10 to 20 minutes until 9:35 a.m.

After 9 a.m., PATCO said, all trains will operate every 15 minutes until 2 p.m. but afternoon rush hour service frequency is dependent on completion of the repair work, Hanson said.

He encouraged riders to visit www.ridepatco.org or to follow PATCO on Twitter at @RidePATCO for updated schedule information.

A tweet from PATCO shortly before 6 a.m. Monday indicated a service outage in both directions between the Collingswood and Broadway stations.

A metal electrical pole was leaning over the tracks and initially was hit by a Conrail train and then a two-car PATCO train struck the pole between 5:45 and 6 a.m., PATCO spokesman Kyle Anderson explained.

But within 20 minutes, word went out that all PATCO service was suspended "due to a downed electrical pole."

Carol Comegno: @carolcomegno; 856-486-2473; ccocmegno@gannettnj.com

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