Subway Derailment Caused by Human Error, Not a Track Defect: MTA

What to Know

Preliminary investigation shows Tuesday's subway train derailment was caused by "an improperly secured piece of replacement rail," MTA says
At least 34 people had injuries including smoke inhalation, though all were expected to be OK, fire officials said
Photos posted to social media show passengers walking along the tracks in a dark subway tunnel, using their phone flashlights as a guide

A subway train in Manhattan that derailed Tuesday as it entered a station, tossing people to the floor and forcing hundreds of shaken-up passengers to exit through darkened tunnels is being blamed on human error, not a track defect, New York City transit officials say.

A preliminary investigation indicates the derailment was caused by an "improperly secured piece of replacement rail" that was stored on the tracks, the MTA said.

[NATL-NY] In Pictures: Panic on the Subway as Smoke Fills Station

Shout out to the MTA for making me late for work. Train lost power in between the tunnel and 125th street. Just flat out stopped running, Ac went off, lights went off, and everyone riding was left confused. Thank goodness the conductors on board let us out after a few minutes of waiting. A very special shoutout to Gov Cuomo who spends his time avoiding accountability instead of actually doing something about the subway system.
A post shared by Stanley Fritz (@stanfritz) on Jun 27, 2017 at 6:57am PDT

"Storing equipment in between tracks is a common practice employed by railroads across the country to accelerate rail repairs," the MTA said in a statement late Tuesday. "The key to this being an effective and safe practice is making sure that the extra equipment is properly bolted down, which does not appear to have happened in this case."

The MTA said crews are inspecting "every inch of rail" to ensure that every replacement part "is properly stored and secured."

The subway derailment is the latest in a series of frustrating infrastructure issues, and now the new man in charge, MTA chair Joe Lhota, is taking tough questions about it. Andrew Siff reports.

Meanwhile, service had resumed on the four subway lines affected by Tuesday's derailment by about 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the accident that injured 34 people. About half of the victims were taken to hospitals while others were assessed at the scene; all injuries were minor.

A subway derailment and power outage near the 125th Street station in Harlem suspended service on multiple train lines Tuesday, stranding terrified riders in darkened, smoke-filled cars for two hours in some cases. Jen Maxfield reports.

Photos posted to social media show passengers walking along the tracks in a dark subway tunnel, using their phone flashlights as a guide. Firefighters are seen illuminating the way. The MTA urged stranded riders on other trains not to get off their subways and to wait for directions from crew.

A train derailment threw commuters into darkness on the subway in Harlem Tuesday morning, prompting an evacuation. Jen Maxfield reports.

The derailment caused significant damage to the track, switch system and tunnel, dramatic photos released by the union showed.

Gov. Cuomo called the derailment "an unacceptable manifestation of the system's current state."

@NYGovCuomo @2AvSagas Just got off the derailed A train that crashed into the subway wall.

Fund the MTA #fixthemta pic.twitter.com/ClUxaAgg62
— Ben MacKrell (@McKrell84) June 27, 2017

Lights went out and train halted just shy of the 125th street stop of the A train. Passengers slowly let out. @MTA investigating. #nyc pic.twitter.com/N47d2GrGEC
— Jackie Faherty (@jfaherty) June 27, 2017

Just got evacuated from a smoke filled train in probably the most terrifying 15 minutes of my NYC life ��
— רח׳׳ל (@RokhlK) June 27, 2017

"It is my expectation that with new leadership brought by Joe Lhota, the MTA will address the fundamental issues plaguing the transit system and overhaul the organizational structure of the MTA," Cuomo said.

Pregnant women, children and families were the first rescued by FDNY from a train trapped underground after a train derailment Tuesday morning.

The derailment spoiled what should've been a bright day for the system, coming roughly two hours before the reopening of a subway station at the southern tip of Manhattan that had been closed since it was flooded by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. The South Ferry station on the No. 1 line reopened after $340 million worth of repairs.

The derailment comes amid a series of breakdowns, signal failures and other issues that have left straphangers at their breaking point. On Monday, the subway rider whose horrifying account of being stuck on a sweltering, powerless train earlier this month went viral held a news briefing to demand the MTA outline an evacuation procedure for riders who may get stranded in the future.

It also comes less than two weeks before the start of Amtrak's summer-long work to repair aging infrastructure at New York Penn Station, a project that is expected to increase subway volume as commuters seek alternatives.