New York Train Derailment Leaves Four Dead, Dozens Injured

A tragic train derailment occurred in New York over the weekend, leaving four dead and 63 injured after seven cars jumped the tracks on a curve known to be treacherous.

The accident occurred on the Metro-North train’s Hudson Line on Sunday morning in the Bronx borough of New York City. The train was rounding a sharp curve with a history of problems when it jumped the tracks.

Three of the four passengers who were killed were thrown from the train as it tumbled through the grass, down an embankment and nearly into the river. Another 63 were injured, including 11 who were listed in critical condition. There were about 150 passengers onboard the train. The deaths were the first fatalities in Metro-North’s 30-year history.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now investigating the cause of the train derailment, but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said the curve near the Hudson and Harlem rivers is known to be difficult to navigate. The train was headed south toward Manhattan’s Grand Central Station and was about 100 yards north of the Spuyten Duyvil station. It was not scheduled to stop there.

No cause has been attributed to the accident. However, some passengers have said that the train appeared to be going faster than usual before the accident. Governor Cuomo has indicated that the trains typically go about 70 mph through that area and then have to slow down to about 30 mph to navigate the curve.

Metro-North issued a statement on Monday morning, warning commuters that there would be limited service on the Hudson Line today and that delays and crowded conditions are expected.

The train derailment came less than a week after a CSX train derailed in Willard, Ohio. While no one was hurt in that accident, the train unleashed 30,000 gallons of a highly flammable chemical called Styrene monomer. About 400 households were evacuated as a result of that accident, which is also still under investigation.