Train From Chicago Derails on Philadelphia Bridge

Six cars carrying crude oil came off tracks on bridge above Schuylkill River

A train from Chicago derailed early Monday morning in Philadelphia, leaving a tanker car and a boxcar leaning off a city bridge.

Seven cars of the 101-car freight train derailed on the Schuylkill Arsenal Railroad Bridge where it crosses over the Schuylkill River, according to CSX spokesman Gary Sease. Six cars carried crude oil, but no leaking was reported. Another car contained sand, he said.

No injuries were reported.

The U.S. Coast Guard brought in a 25-foot response boat from its Philadelphia station to enforce a safety zone in the river just south of the bridge. Local police firefighters and emergency personnel also responded to the scene.

"CSX would like to thank Philadelphia emergency first responders who arrived at the scene quickly and took prompt precautionary action," said a statement from CSX.

Both directions of the Schuylkill Expressway were closed shortly after the derailment as crews worked to stabilize the cars. By 2:30 a.m. traffic began to move eastbound. It took another hour for the westbound lanes to open.

There was no information as of 7 a.m. as to what caused the derailment.

The bridge was built around the turn of the 20th Century and has since carried rail traffic for more than a century.

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