Trolley/Train Collision in Darby Calls Unique Intersection’s Safety Into Question

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A collision between a CSX freight train and a SEPTA trolley in Darby Borough has refocused attention on the only intersection in the nation where an active freight line crosses an active rail transit line, writes Matt Petrillo for CBS 3 Philly.

“It is a notoriously bad intersection,” said U.S. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon.

The NTSB is investigating the Thursday freight train/trolley crash, trying to figure out why it happened,

The 8:30 a.m. accident woke neighbors.

Gary King saw the collision from the corner and ran into a store and told them to call 911.

“The trolley was coming up, the train didn’t stop. The trolley tried to stop but that train didn’t stop. And it just went right through the light. I heard a loud crash like a loud blast,” he said

Five passengers on the trolley and the trolley driver received non-life-threatening injuries.

Scanlon had visited the site last August and noticed that many streets come together there.

“Clearly, it’s missing some traffic safety controls,” Scanlon said.

With federal infrastructure dollars from the $1 trillion Biden infrastructure plan, SEPTA should receive extra federal funding to improve intersections like the one in Darby, she added.

Read more at CBS 3 Philly about the crash.

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