Harpers Ferry bridge fire impacts train service – NBC4 Washington

Emergency personnel received a call around 3:45 Monday afternoon about a fire on a train trestle over the Potomac between Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and Sandy Hook, Maryland. It wasn't immediately known what caused the fire.

Trains traveling between DC and Chicago were canceled, but it is not yet known how long disruptions will impact CSX freight lines, Amtrak passenger lines and Marc commuter rail.

In a statement, CSX thanked firefighters for their quick response and said, “Both passenger and freight rail operations will be suspended on the bridge until it can be inspected by our teams. CSX teams will work safely and expeditiously to make repairs on the impacted line .”

People dining at nearby establishments had left the view.

“You could see the embers burning and stuff dropping into the river,” said Paul Leroy, a Maryland resident.

As they were taking in the breathtaking scenery, they almost had their breath taken away by the acrid fumes.

“Black, and it smelled like creosote,” Leroy said.

A section of the Appalachian Trail runs parallel to the train tracks, but avid hikers weren't letting the fire interrupt their trek.

“People were walking across that bridge, not that bridge, but the next bridge down, right through the smoke,” Leroy said.

At least a few tourists may have an unexpected extended stay.

“I was just talking to, there's a bunch of Amish people up here who were expecting to go back to Indiana on the train and can't,” Leroy said.

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