Hotline #700-A

Thousands of travelers were delayed last night after a fire at Philadelphia 30th Street Station halted all Amtrak and commuter trains there for several hours. This morning, trains were running normally except that commuter trains ran through non-stop because their upper-level platforms -- located above where the fire was -- were filled with debris. Also, highway access to the station was limited as a result of the firefighters' efforts. SEPTA hopes that commuter trains will be stopping at 30th Street by the morning of December 26. Last night, Amtrak and its contractors' cleaning crews reportedly worked heroically to permit normal service this morning, cleaning up the mess except that big fans were still in evidence, blowing out the smoky smell. The fire broke out at 5:00 pm yesterday and was confined to the old bowling alley in back of the ticket office and between the ladies' and men's restrooms. It had been used by contractors as a staging area. Minor smoke damage reached up to the 5th floor of the north towe