Two Derailments at Penn Station in Two Weeks. What has to Change to Protect Commuters?

In March 2017, a Washington, D.C.-bound Amtrak train suffered a derailment at a slow speed in Pennsylvania Station. In the derailment, the train sideswiped a New Jersey Transit train. The incident caused minor delays and a brief service halt. 10 days later, a New Jersey Transit train on the Northeast Corridor line also suffered a slow speed derailment, which resulted in five minor injuries to passengers and delays that lasted into the evening. The two derailments occurred fairly close together and are now under investigation.

Individuals injured in train accidents can suffer significant financial damages as a result. These individuals can seek compensation for their damages through personal injury claims.

Causes of the Recent Derailments

Although the definite causes of these derailments have not been identified, evidence points to a track condition as the issue at hand. The derailments occurred at a switch point, an area where multiple tracks meet so trains can change tracks.

Pennsylvania Station is old – the first building opened in 1910 and the current building opened in 1968, where many of the old tracks continued to be utilized. Today, more than 600,000 passengers on 1,300 trains pass through the station each day. Aging infrastructure with limited time and physical space for maintenance has created dangerous conditions for the trains that move into and out of Manhattan.

MTA’s Solution to Future Derailments

To address the issues that caused the derailments and create solutions to prevent future accidents, multiple hearings and investigations were ordered. Amtrak, which owns Penn Station, launched its own investigation alongside the Federal Railroad Administration’s investigation. New Jersey governor Chris Christie and New Jersey Transit placed the blame for the derailments on Amtrak’s failure to maintain its infrastructure. This issue is the focus of both ongoing investigations. The Metropolitan Transportation Administration (MTA) also puts the blame on Amtrak for creating the conditions that ultimately led to the disruption of service to all railroads that utilize the station, including the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit.

Proposed solutions to the issue are obvious: build new tracks and rail stations. In 2010, Governor Christie canceled the ARC railroad tunnel project, a collaborative effort between New York and New Jersey to build two new rail tunnels, expand Penn Station, and replace the existing Portal Bridges. Although he now supports the Gateway Tunnel project, this project’s future is in limbo. President Trump recommended cutting funding for new transit projects in the 2018 budget, which could leave commuters relying on an aging Penn Station for years to come.

Work with an Experienced New York Train Accident Lawyer

A derailment or another type of train accident can leave you suffering from a physical injury and its resulting financial damages. If you are in this position, consider pursuing a personal injury claim to seek compensation for your damages. Call the Law Office of Jeffrey K. Kestenbaum at 718-237-5586 today to schedule your free case review with an experienced personal injury lawyer in our Brooklyn office.