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Bridge over the Potomac burns and paralyzes S-Bahn traffic

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According to authorities, a railroad bridge over the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry caught fire on Monday, leading to the suspension of passenger train service.

MARC commuter rail service from West Virginia to Maryland and DC on the Brunswick Line was suspended Tuesday, the Maryland Transit Administration said.

The agency said the West Virginia-bound trains would be held in Brunswick, Maryland, on Monday evening and would depart for Washington at the scheduled time on Tuesday.

Commuter rail officials said they would meet with CSX Transportation on Tuesday to discuss repairs to the bridge. A decision on service to West Virginia in the afternoon and for the rest of the week will be made Tuesday, MARC said.

Amtrak said Capitol Limited service would be suspended in both directions between Chicago and Washington on Monday evening. Tuesday’s schedule was unclear.

The fire was reported at 3:38 p.m. on the CSX railroad bridge between Maryland and West Virginia, the Washington County, Maryland, Emergency Services Agency said.

The large fire spread quickly and caused enormous damage, the department said.

Photos showed that the fire had burned the sleepers between the rails.

The fire was reported under control at 5:30 p.m. Firefighters were waiting for CSX authorities to arrive to assess the damage and determine what repairs were needed, Washington County officials said.

The cause of the fire could not be determined.

The site is located about 55 miles northwest of Washington.

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