Train Accident At Penn Station

[AlanB]

A Long Island Railroad train sideswiped an Amtrak train in a tunnel at Penn Station this morning. There are reports of at least 10 injuries as a result of the accident. There are also numerous transit delays and street closures.

The full but so far brief story from 1010 WINS News.

Please note that details are still very sketchy, as this accident only happened within the last hour, shortly after 7:00 AM. However, unlike the quote above, the radio has already changed the story to state that the LIRR train was rear ended, not sideswipped.

Also in question is what train rear ended the LIRR train. Some reports suggest an Amtrak train, others say it was another LIRR train. The accident happened on track 16 according to current reports, so it could be either an Amtrak or LIRR train. Although at that hour, Amtrak doesn't usually use track 16.

The amount of injuries is also varying wildly, inlcuding a possible 10 serious.

Most service is now being terminated else where for the LIRR. No word on disruption to NJT or Amtrak.

 

[AlanB]

The LIRR train left Ronkonkoma at 5:42 a.m. and was due in Penn Station at 7:02, the railroad said. It bumped with the Amtrak train at 7:05 a.m. It was not immediately clear how the accident occurred.

The story has been updated slightly. Read the update here.

 

[AlanB]

Amtrak spokesman Dan Stessel the Amtrak Regional Service train had left the Sunnyside, Queens, yard to Penn Station to pickup passengers at 7:30 a.m. for a trip to Washington, D.C., when one of the trains bumped the other from behind.

Still another story from NBC Newschannel 4.

 

[AlanB]

The NBC story above now has links to both a video and a slide show. A few of the pictures show some of the damage to the LIRR train. Nothing however on the Amtrak train.

 

[engine999]

Don't they have signals gaurding the platfrom or do dispatchers permit trains to pull all the way up having multiple trains on one track?

 

[battalion51]

Check out what the Trains.com Newswire had to say about it, here. Free registration is required.

 

[Amfleet]

I'm in Penn Station currently and announcements are being made that a stalled NJ Transit is causing delay south of New York. Whether or not this is a cover to what happened this morning I don't know. I noticed this morning in Boston that several northbound Regionals and Acelas were running up to an hour late.

 

[AlanB]

Don't they have signals gaurding the platfrom or do dispatchers permit trains to pull all the way up having multiple trains on one track?

They do indeed have signals that guard the platforms. However, this accident happened while the trains were still in the tunnel. The LIRR train was waiting for a signal to clear, prior to pulling into a platform. So that most likely means that the Amtrak engineer blew a signal or a signal malfunctioned.

I do know that they were having radio comm problems in that tunnel this past Saturday. So maybe somehow the two events are tied together or perhaps while fixing the communications the work crew screwed up the signals.

To answer your other question, yes there are times that the dispatchers will put two trains on one plat, but that had nothing to do with today's accident as neither train was yet on the platform.

 

[Viewliner]

NBC makes it sound like it was a work train. Fortunately it was only minor injuries, and I'm glad its back to normal for the most part. I'm waiting to see what they have to say on a story about rail security now.

 

[tp49]

All this makes me wonder if the PSCC dropped the ball here or what was going on. I wouldn't think Amtrak would use 16 at all during the rush, and to be honest I don't think it's all that often when they do use 16.

Generally the only time you see two trains on the same platform is over on the NJT side. I can say that I have never seen two LIRR trains on the same platform in Penn in over 25 years of riding the LIRR.

I would bet that most of the injuries occurred because people were standing in the vestibule or just getting out of their seats to prepare to get off the train in anticipation of the stop at Penn, and hopefully they aren't serious.

Last, at least the LIRR cars involved were M-1's and not the M-7's as the M-1's are being phased out and retired from service.

 

[AlanB]

All this makes me wonder if the PSCC dropped the ball here or what was going on.  I wouldn't think Amtrak would use 16 at all during the rush, and to be honest I don't think it's all that often when they do use 16.  
Generally the only time you see two trains on the same platform is over on the NJT side.  I can say that I have never seen two LIRR trains on the same platform in Penn in over 25 years of riding the LIRR.

I would bet that most of the injuries occurred because people were standing in the vestibule or just getting out of their seats to prepare to get off the train in anticipation of the stop at Penn, and hopefully they aren't serious.

Last, at least the LIRR cars involved were M-1's and not the M-7's as the M-1's are being phased out and retired from service.

TP,

You missed my post just above. This accident didn't occur at the platform like the initial reports stated. The LIRR train was still in the Line 2 tunnel waiting for a signal to clear it to track 16. Hence the confusion about track 16.

The LIRR train never did make it to 16. After the accident it was brought in on track 14 to be evacuated. The Amtrak train after a considerable delay to ensure it could move properly, was then brought into track 13 for further inspection.

This took out two middle tracks at Penn during the rush hour. Plus the police closed off half of the LIRR level for the rescue efforts.

 

[tp49]

Alan,

I understood that the trains were still in the tunnel and can picture in my mind at about the point where the LIRR at the east end of Penn where the interlocking is. What I meant to say was that from the original story I was surprised to hear that they might have planned to route Amtrak onto track 16 during the AM rush considering IIRC either it or track 18 is the longest platform in the station.

I also realized that they routed one of the trains to 13/14 when I saw the picture on the WNBC website showing a medic coming up the stairs at the track 13 doorway.

 

[AlanB]

Ok, just wanted to make sure.

However, make sure that you are picturing the correct interlocking too. This accident occured in what is generally the inbound Amtrak tunnel, Line 2, not the normal LIRR inbound tunnel. This is the centrally located tunnel that arrives due east of track #12.

The normal LIRR inbound tunnel, Line 4, is the one that is almost directly east of track #21. It's also slightly north of track 21.

 

[tp49]

If what I heard about the location is right it happened near the "JO interlocking."

 

[AlanB]

If what I heard about the location is right it happened near the "JO interlocking."

Yup "Jo" feeds Lines 1 & 2, 1 is normally outbound while 2 is generally the inbound tunnel.

The interlocking closest to the normal LIRR home tracks is the "C" Interlocking, which feeds lines 3 & 4. 3 being the normal outbound tunnel, with 4 being the inbound.

 

[tp49]

An Amtrak engineer is to blame for the Penn Station train collision that injured nearly 130 people, officials said Tuesday.
The operator of the nearly empty Amtrak train that hit a Long Island Rail Road train Monday near the entrance to the station broke a rule requiring him to be able to suddenly stop when entering restricted speed zones, Amtrak officials said. He was placed on unpaid leave Tuesday.

According to this report from Newsday, Amtrak is already acknowledging their employee is at fault.