A SEPTA train had a "strong burning smell" before catching fire in Delaware County and forcing passengers to evacuate, federal officials said.

A "strong burning smell" was reported in the lead railcar at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia about an hour before a SEPTA Regional Rail train with about 325 passengers caught fire at Crum Lynne Station in Ridley Park last month,

Less than an hour before the Feb. 6 fire in Delaware County, the engineer reported a “strong burning smell," but the train was allowed to continue, the NTSB said.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train that caught fire on Feb. 6, 2025, had been inspected earlier in the day because of sluggish performance, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the incident released today (March 5,

Hours before the fire, officials said an engineer reported the train being "sluggish and not getting up to speed, and that a fault light on the train was on."

Hours before the fire, officials said an engineer reported the train being "sluggish and not getting up to speed, and that a fault light on the train was on."

We’re getting a first look into what happened last month when a train caught on fire during rush hour in Delaware County. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report of their investigation after a SEPTA train caught on fire as it left the Crum Lynne Station just before 6 p.