Fire Worsens 2nd Day Of Philly Transit Strike

PATRICK WALTERS

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Commuters biked, walked, juggled carpool schedules and hitched rides as the city's transit system ground to a near halt for a second day Wednesday, a rush worsened when a regional rail train caught fire.

Regional rail lines are running because their workers are represented by a different union. But trouble hit around 7 a.m. when a car caught fire as it headed downtown, causing delays and confusion. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority officials said it was likely an electrical fire and was not suspicious.

More than 5,000 members of SEPTA's largest union walked off the job early Tuesday, leaving thousands of people struggling for ways to get around without the use of subways, trolleys or buses.

"I can't take the whole strike off," said Niki LaGrone, 27, a Catholic school teacher in North Philadelphia, as she prepared to take regional rail as far as it goes and then walk a mile and a half to school. "I'm going to have to show up. ... Hopefully, I can find somebody when I get in to work to help me out."

At the J.R. Masterman high school, Robin Carpenter unloaded a bicycle from his father's car so he could make the 7-mile ride home in the afternoon.