Reports: LIRR Train Derails in Queens; 13 Injured
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Photo Courtesy of LIRR via X (formerly Twitter)
Thirteen passengers were injured after all eight cars of a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train derailed Thursday morning near Jamaica Station in Queens, New York, according to multiple news reports.
According to a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) spokesperson, approximately 100 passengers were onboard the train when it derailed around 11:12 a.m. A spokesperson from the fire department said at least 13 people suffered injuries and additional passengers were being evaluated.
According to a USA Today report, Train 722 had departed from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan and was headed towards Hempstead in Long Island. Officials said that riders were immediately evacuated to a rescue train and taken back to Jamaica where they were attended to.
“In total, we have 13 patients. Nine of those are minor, two of them are moderate, and two are more serious but all of them are stable,” said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. “Everyone is going to be okay today.”
As a result of the derailment, eastbound LIRR trains were bypassing several other stations and officials said that “repair work was under way on the track, but passengers and riders should expect delays during the evening rush hour and tomorrow morning as well,” according to the USA Today report. Authorities advised riders to monitor LIRR’s social media pages, as well as the app for real-time updates.
According to officials, crews and equipment are currently onsite, working to restore full service. This process includes re-railing the derailed train, repairing damage to the rails and ties and fixing other infrastructure.
“The restoration process is not merely a matter of re-railing the train, there is damage to the ties and other railroad infrastructure as well,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “We’ll have to come back to the public about how long it’s going to be until that track and our ability to provide full Long Island Railroad service is back in action.”
While the cause of the derailment has not yet been identified, authorities said an investigation is under way, USA and CBS News reported. However, speed was not a factor—the train was traveling at 54 mph, “which is below the maximum allowable speed in the area,” said an official.
“We can positively determine that speed was not a factor in this. [The train] was operating under the maximum allowable speed in the area. But it’s still too early to say exactly if there were any type of malfunction,” authorities said.
The derailment took place at Hall Interlocking & Tower, a complex interlocking plant with double crossovers just east of Jamaica Station (upper image) that is part of the massive facility (lower image) where multiple LIRR lines converge. “That means until crews can repair the tracks, what’s normally four lanes of train traffic is down to two,” according to the CBS News report.
“This is a critical component. What you’ve lost now is 50% of your capacity and because of now the congestion that’s [going to] build up in Jamaica, this may affect the trains that are going to the south shore,” said Transportation Engineer Carl Berkowitz said, according to the CBS News report.
Eastbound trains bypass Hillside, Hollis and Queens Village. Cross-honoring will happen on the Q2, Q3, Q8 and Q110 buses for service between Jamaica and Queens Village.
