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The Dinky commuter train pulls away from the old Princeton University Dinky Station in this file photo.
(Michael Mancuso/The Times of Trenton)
PRINCETON -- Fire and rescue personnel went to Princeton's recently decommisioned Dinky train station this afternoon after the collapse of an awning raised concerns about possible injuries, officials said.
Officials confirmed that a 200-foot section of the station's awning tipped over onto the train tracks at about 4:25 p.m., but a Princeton University spokesman said there were no injuries.
The station was decommissioned last month when the train line was shortened to make room for the university arts and transit development. The school plans to convert the station's two historic buildings into a cafe and restaurant.
University spokesman Martin Mbugua said he did not know if crews were working at the station at the time of the collapse, but said the entire construction area has been fenced off and made inaccessible to the public since construction began.
Officials are asking commuters to avoid the area of Alexander Street and University Place for the next three hours.
The Princeton fire and police, the university's Department of Public Safety, Princeton First Aid and Rescue and the Mercer County task force that investigates collapsed structures are on scene, Mbugua said.
The Dinky train service has been shifted to run from a temporary platform on Alexander Street — 1,200 feet from the old station — to the Princeton Junction train station in West Windsor.
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