Commuter rail locomotive catches fire at North Station, delaying outbound trains

By Colin A. Young, Globe Correspondent

A mechanical failure in the engine of a commuter rail locomotive at North Station ignited a smoky fire and delayed outbound commuter trains this afternoon, officials said.

Just after 1:30 p.m., a fire erupted in the engine of Train 220 on the Haverhill line, according to Scott Farmelant, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co.

Farmelant said the train had arrived in Boston about 10 minutes prior and was not carrying passenegers at the time of the fire. Tracks 1, 2, and 3 at North Station were closed while crews worked to put out the flames, Farmelant said.

A Boston fire department spokesman said the engine section of the locomotive and exhaust stack were “bright red” from the heat of the flames.

The small fire was quickly extinguished and all tracks were reopened as of 2:20 p.m.

No injuries were reported.