Derailed LIRR trains back on tracks; work near Jamaica to continue through weekend
MTA workers on Friday at the scene of the LIRR derailment in Jamaica, Queens. Credit: Ed Quinn
Crews have put all eight LIRR train cars that derailed in Queens on Thursday morning back on the tracks, but full service on the damaged track won’t be restored until Monday morning, the head of the MTA said Friday.
After re-railing six cars overnight, crews completed work on the last two Friday afternoon, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber.
"All eight cars of this train have been put back on the rail," Lieber said at a Jamaica news conference. "There was a full-time, 24/7, overnight operation that has done something that we did not think was possible, which is to get all the cars back on the rail and to start the process of putting this track back into service."
Despite the "tremendous progress," Lieber said there is "more work to be done to get ready and make sure we restore the rail in time for Monday."
That work includes repairing 1,600 feet of track that were "obliterated" by the derailment, 900 feet of electrified third rail, and 400 concrete ties that were "wiped out" and must be replaced.
"That is a 24/7 operation that is going to continue through the weekend," Lieber said.
The LIRR has preemptively canceled four Friday evening trains, but expects service levels will be normal over the weekend.
The railroad also cancelled four trains Friday morning, and eastbound trains continue to bypass Hillside, Hollis and Queens Village stations. There were also scattered 10- to 15-minute delays on the Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma Branches throughout the Friday morning commute.
Thirteen people were injured in the derailment, but none seriously, officials have said. The cause of the incident remains under investigation, including by the Federal Railroad Administration. Lieber noted that the LIRR has ruled out speed as a factor in the accident.
LIRR vice president of operations Robert Free said two of the cars involved in the derailment suffered "some undercarriage damage," but will be repaired and eventually put back into service.
Earlier, Lieber told WCBS 880 radio that “a ton of data is being downloaded” to help determine what went wrong, including video footage from outward-facing cameras on the train.
With John Valenti
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.
