LIRR starts year investigating 2 train derailments

The Long Island Rail Road has started 2019 having to investigate two train derailments that occurred over four days, raising concerns  by one state lawmaker about the agency’s safety practices.

Early Monday morning, a nonpassenger LIRR train derailed at a Port Washington rail yard, causing some delays and cancellations during the morning rush.

On Thursday afternoon, another nonpassenger train derailed at a Jamaica yard, causing problems during the evening rush hour. Shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday, the railroad told customers that crews had put the train back on the tracks and “track personnel are on-scene assessing any track damage and are working to clear the area.”

“Safety is a core value of the Long Island Rail Road,” the LIRR said in a statement Friday. “While there were no injuries and no risk to our customers or the public, we regret any impact these events may have had on service and to the quality of our customers’ experience.”

The railroad said it was still investigating both derailments to determine their causes — a process that involves examining human factors, infrastructure, equipment and environmental conditions. The LIRR will use the findings to help prevent such incidents from happening again, railroad officials said.

Although the LIRR described both derailments as “minor,” newly elected Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Huntington) took to Twitter on Thursday to voice concern for what he called “continued troubling incidents” and “near abdication for safety standards.”

“This is just happening way too often,” Gaughran said in an interview Friday. “Even when they’re minor, they’re creating such disruption for my constituents and others on Long Island who are just trying to get back and forth to work everyday.”

Gaughran also noted on Twitter that an LIRR train struck a tractor trailer at a Quogue crossing Thursday morning, causing a suspension of service on the Montauk line. The tractor trailer was stuck on the tracks, and the driver of the vehicle later was issued a summons. Because of the incident, there were delays of 15 to 20 minutes Friday morning on the branch.

The incidents raise concerns about the state of the LIRR’s aging infrastructure, Gaughran said. He said it was imperative that the Senate allocate funding as part of the state budget process “to just fix it.”

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, the LIRR reported five derailments in the first 10 months of 2018. The railroad reported four derailments in all of 2017.

Among 790 railroads in the United States reporting to the FRA, there were 1,097 train derailments in the first 10 months of 2018, a 3.6 percent increase over the same period in 2017.

Although last week’s derailments affected relatively few passenger trains, some LIRR riders expressed frustration over the incidents on social media.

“2nd #LIRR derailment in the last week!” @JohnDillworth tweeted. “The @LIRR calls them 'minor' derailments but they are certainly not minor to all those that were going to ride the canceled trains.”

“Late train due to your derailment yesterday. Can I get a refund every time you fail to deliver? $297 is a lot for inadequate service,” @jeffbmoore tweeted.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board is scheduled to vote on a proposal to raise fares, including on the LIRR, on Jan. 24.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.