This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
8/14/2023
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) officials late last week updated findings from their ongoing investigation into the Aug. 3 derailment of an eight-car passenger train east of Jamaica in Queens, New York.
The investigation found that the train, which was carrying 55 passengers as it navigated a set of switches known as Hall Interlocking, derailed after traveling eastbound over a switch intended for a straight move that was misaligned for a diverging route, according to an MTA news release. The derailment resulted in 13 non-life-threatening injuries.
Prior to the derailment, LIRR conducted a required monthly inspection of the switch, and it is believed that the switch did not properly realign upon completion of the inspection. This condition was not detected then because of a previously unknown vulnerability in the switch’s wiring configuration, which resulted in the train dispatcher’s display showing that the route was properly aligned when it was not, MTA officials said.
The MTA and LIRR continue to investigate the incident as does the Federal Railroad Administration.