By darlene diebold
Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN — A fire on the train tracks near the Navesink River bridge caused train service between Red Bank and Matawan to be shut down for almost three hours last week, inconveniencing about 400 commuters.
"One of our inspection vehicles caught fire on the tracks around 9:30 a.m.," said NJ Transit spokesman Ken Hitchner. "The vehicle was severely damaged. We are unsure what happened as of yet, but an investigation is currently under way by our company." Hitchner said one of the three NJ Transit employees who were inside the vehicle reported the fire, but he was unsure exactly who it was. There were two drivers and a computer operator inside the vehicle.
Service was temporarily suspended on both tracks and a shuttle bus service was provided from Long Branch to Matawan. Service was gradually restored later in the morning.
"At 10:52 (a.m.), we started offering limited train service on one track. Once the vehicle was removed at 12:29 (p.m.), both tracks were opened and we began offering full service," he said. The vehicle, a track geometry inspection vehicle, runs over the tracks and measures the space between the rails. It also measures the distance between the tracks and the overhead wires that power the trains. "This vehicle was state-of-the-art and tested the tracks and the wires. It is a very precise art. Both need to be a set distance apart. The vehicle can do the tests much better than a naked eye," Hitchner said. There were no injuries resulting from the fire.