(The Associated Press circulated the following article on March 30.)
NEW YORK — A small, smoky fire in a commuter train tunnel delayed some passengers Friday, but no one was injured, authorities said.
Smoke arose as an eastbound Long Island Rail Road train passed through a tunnel early Friday, railroad spokesman Sam Zambuto said. The 5:11 a.m. train was heading from New York City’s Pennsylvania Station to Ronkonkoma, on Long Island.
Firefighters said some trash ignited about 25 feet from the station. The fire was reported at 5:30 a.m. and under control within 15 minutes, they said.
The train kept going through the tunnel and stopped at the Jamaica station in Queens, where passengers transferred to another train, Zambuto said. He said it ran about 25 minutes behind the initial train’s arrival times.
The smoke quickly dissipated, and the tunnel reopened, Zambuto said. He said no other trains were affected or delayed.
The railroad was examining the affected train and investigating whether a blown fuse might have started the problem, he said.
It was unclear how many passengers were on the train at the time of the fire.