Woman Struck and Killed by SEPTA Train Near 40th Street Station This Morning

The train operator saw the woman on the tracks and applied the emergency brake, but the train did not stop in time.

By I, Mtruch, ">CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2513365

40th Street Station on the Market Frankford Line. Photo | Mtruch via CC BY-SA 3.0,

Update: The woman killed in this morning’s SEPTA incident has been identified as a junior at Penn’s Wharton school and a graduate of Central High.

Earlier: A woman has died after being hit by an eastbound SEPTA train on the Market-Frankford line near the 40th Street Station around 7 a.m. Monday morning. Rail service had been suspended between those stations, but has since been restored. Riders on the Market Frankford Line can expect residual delays.

The train’s last stop had been 46th street, and as it approached the 40th Street Station, the train operator saw a female of unknown age on the tracks, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said. The operator blew the horn and applied the emergency braking system in accordance with standard operating procedure. The train was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the woman, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Busch.

Busch added that there was “no foul play involved” in the incident. It did not appear that the victim was pushed or had fallen onto the tracks. However, the Medical Examiner will determine whether the death was accidental or a suicide.

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