Far Rockaway train speeding at twice the permitted limit

National Transportation Safety Board officials investigating what caused the crash and derailment of a Long Island Rail Road train on the Far Rockaway branch on Jan. 4 said the train was moving at more than 10 mph before the collision. More than twice the 5 mph speed limit.

Investigators said the the train headed into the station at 33 mph, and reduced speed to 15 mph on its approach as required. However, in the last three minutes, the train's speed seesawed between 2 and 10 mph. NTSB investigators said the engineer doesn't remember the crash, and will be tested for sleep apnea, a chronic condition that could lead to fatigue. The Federal Railroad Administration is also part of the probe. 

Senior NTSB investigator Jim Southworth said that the investigation would entail reviewing recordings and video of the accident, and interviewing witnesses as well as the three crew members. The on-scene investigation is expected to take three to seven days, Southworth said.

According to initial reports, LIRR officials said that at about 8:15 a.m., Train No. 2817, scheduled to depart from Far Rockaway at 7:18 a.m., and due into the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, at 8:11 a.m., struck the bumping block. Atlantic Terminal has six tracks and three platforms. The six-car long train was carrying about 430 passengers as it headed into the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn on Track 6 and was possibly moving at a higher rate of speed than the usual less than 10 to 15 mph before it struck a bumping block and crashed into a small office.

Due to the crash, the lead wheel assembly derailed, along with one other axle. FDNY officials at the scene said that a portion of rail sliced into the bottom of the train, which lifted the wheels off the track. The crash also smashed the train’s doors and shattered windows.

FDNY reported that 103 people were injured, with the most severe being a broken leg. Officials said that the passengers were getting ready to get off the train and were sent careering through the cars.

In responding to a question at the scene about the rate of speed Metropolitan Transit Authority Chairman Thomas Prendergast said that it was too early to tell what the train’s exact speed was. “Obviously the train is supposed to stop short of the bumping block,” he said. “It did not do that. It’s one of the factors that we will look at in the investigation.” Prendergast said that the locomotive engineer, conductor and brakeman would all be interviewed during the probe.

There were no delays as a result of the incident, and there no reported delays during that Wednesday’s evening rush hour. The Atlantic Terminal also serves the West Hempstead and Hempstead branches. Commuters used alternative options such as the E, J and Z subway lines at Jamaica and buses in Brooklyn.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was also at the crash scene and complimented the efforts of the emergency responders. “The response to the accident was fantastic, and I want to thank all the first responders,” he said. “The MTA, the NYPD, the Fire Department — they really did a great job of getting on site.”

This was the second LIRR derailment in less than three months. In October, a commuter train derailed near the New Hyde Park station. That accident injured 33 people.

“There’s a signal system that controls [the train] coming in at limited speeds,” Prendergast said. “But when the you’re getting to the end it’s the locomotive engineer’s responsibility. And the train’s brakes have to work. All those tings have to be looked at in the investigation.”