Statement released on train accident in New York City

Critical repairs bring service changes to part of MTA’s lines.

Marc A. Hermann/MTA New York City Transit

Ed. Note: Sarah Feinberg is the Interim President of New York City Transit. DCL

“NYPD is actively investigating the incident in which a northbound eight-car train came into contact with debris on the tracks at approximately 8:17 a.m. at 14th St. [On Sunday, September 20, 2020]. At this time, the cause of the incident appears to be an act of vandalism.

“As the train was coming to a stop in the station after striking the debris, the train’s first car scraped four columns that separate the northbound express track from the southbound express track. The 134 passengers on board were safely evacuated from the train. NYC Transit personnel are inspecting the train and the tunnel structure.

“The derailment caused third rail power to be cut to a section of the line, causing a second northbound train carrying 125 passengers to remain in the tunnel south of 34th Street. Personnel safely offloaded those customers via a side-to-side transfer to a local train by 9:50 a.m., which carried them safely to 34th St.

“New York City Transit personnel will work around the clock to rerail the incident train, inspect several hundred feet of track, columns and third rail for damage and make necessary repairs, with the goal of restoring full service as soon as possible. While work is underway, trains will operate on the line local track from Canal St to 59th St-Columbus Circle and will bypass 14 St in both directions. At this time, it is unclear whether express service will be available for the Monday morning rush. Please check mta.info and the MYmta app for the latest service details.

“I want to thank the NYC Transit workforce for their incredible dedication, ongoing hard work and perseverance during this incident, and our customers for their patience.”

For photos of the derailment aftermath, please click to go to MTA’s Flickr page.

An MTA news release.