Gov. Cuomo declares state of emergency for MTA

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo today declared a state of emergency for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

The move will allow the agency to speed up the purchase of material and equipment needed to repair tracks, signals, switches and other components, Cuomo said on Twitter.

In addition, New York State will contribute $1 billion in additional funding to the MTA's current capital plan, which is the largest in its history.

"New York became the great state it is because of a fearless drive to overcome insurmountable challenges," Cuomo tweeted. "Fixing MTA will be no different."

This morning I declared a state of emergency for the @MTA.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 29, 2017

The governor's declaration follows a series of operational missteps and extensive delays for MTA New York City Transit's (NYCT) subway system, including a derailment that injured 34 people on Tuesday.

That derailment was caused by a piece of replacement rail that was improperly secured on the tracks, agency officials said.

The MTA has since suspended two workers supervising repairs where the derailment occurred, agency spokesman Kevin Ortiz said via email.

"There are proper protocols to ensure equipment is fastened and cannot shake loose, and that equipment that is too small to be safely stored is never stored in between tracks," Ortiz said. "Those protocols were not followed, according to our preliminary investigation."