Jump to content
PK90

Train Crash in Hoboken

Recommended Posts

Updated 9 minutes ago, says 1 dead dozens injured.

 

HOBOKEN, N.J. — A commuter train crashed at a station in New Jersey during the Thursday morning rush, killing at least one person and injuring about 100 others, a number of them seriously, the authorities said.

“There are fatalities,” said a senior transportation official who did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly. “There are a significant number of injuries. The train was going very fast. There are structural concerns about the facility.”

Jim Smith, a spokesman for New Jersey Transit, said a commuter train struck the Hoboken Terminal building on track 5 around 8:45 a.m. The train was No. 1614, a Pascack Valley line train, traveling from Spring Valley, N.Y., to Hoboken.

Michael Larson, a New Jersey Transit employee, was in the station when the train crashed. He said he crawled on his hands and knees to pull people out of the first train car.

“The first car was pretty well destroyed,” Mr. Larson said at the station. “The whole roof was caved in. The seats were broken.”

Mr. Larson, who had blood on his pants leg, said that “by looking at the damage,” he suspected there had been fatalities.

GRAPHIC What Happened in the New Jersey Transit Train Crash

A commuter train crashed into Hoboken Terminal at about 8:45 Thursday morning.

The train went “over the bumper block, through the depot,” and came to rest at the wall right before the station’s waiting area, Mr. Larson told reporters during a segment that was broadcast on CNN.

“One of the worst days I’ve ever seen,” he said.

People shared photos of the crash on social media, showing a derailed train at the station. One image showed the front of a train stopped beyond the tracks inside the station. Photos also showed damage to the station, which is one of the busiest along the sprawling New Jersey Transit system.

Rail service was suspended into and out of the station, including service provided by the PATH system, which runs between Manhattan and New Jersey. Local buses and ferries were accepting New Jersey train tickets as a result of the accident.

Jason Danahy, who was on the train, said it was filled with commuters and pulling into the station when it abruptly came to a halt.

“From the fifth car, it felt like a major skid,” he said. “A creaking noise and a skid. I was lucky to be on the fifth car.”

When he got off the train, it was chaotic in the station.

“I saw bloody noses,” he said. “I saw people crying.”

Shortly after the crash, Hoboken, which sits along the Hudson River, was aglow with blue, red and yellow lights of emergency vehicles flooding its southeast corner, near the train station.

Slide Show Train Crashes Into Hoboken Station

CreditRichard Perry/The New York Times

The Jersey City Medical Center was expecting to receive 40 people with minor injuries and 10 people with serious injuries, according to a statement. Those numbers could rise. A spokesman for Care Point Health said that 16 patients were taken to Hoboken University Medical Center, and at least one to to Christ Hospital in Jersey City.

Ben Fairclough, 35, said he was transferring at the station when he saw the derailed train, which was blocking part of the terminal.

“There were wires down, water pouring from the ceiling, the roof had collapsed, and there was people climbing out of windows of the train,” he said.

A video taken by Mr. Fairclough showed passengers climbing out of the train, walking over the debris from the crash. Metal beams lay on the ground; wires hung haphazardly. “Clear the area,” someone shouted.

Mr. Fairclough said one person appeared to be unconscious on the ground. Others were bloody, he said.

“Cars drive into houses,” he said. “This was a train that drove into the terminal.”

Tom Spina said he was in the terminal when “we heard a loud boom.” He walked over and came upon a chaotic scene.

“You saw folks bleeding from the head, limping, folks were on the ground. It was awful,” he said.

Matthew Lehner, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, said the agency was aware of the crash and had investigators on their way.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

nj has posted over 50 photos of the station and surrounding area:

 

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2016/09/3_killed_more_than_100_hurt_in_hoboken_train_crash.html

 

The scene of the crash looks horrible. My prayers for the injured and anyone who didn't make it.

 

I'll wait on a briefing from police and transit officials instead of playing 20 guesses as to the cause.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Been working straight through the day, first chance I've had to catch up on this news - saw an alert on this come through corporate email though.

That's....a mess.   Real sorry for anyone caught up in it.  Once video of the crash surfaces I bet it's going to be stunning.

Thought immediately runs to wondering if the train was hijacked.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The engineer lived, so at least it won't be typical railroad behavior of blaming the dead guy. I work for that carrier. Don't listen to all the experts. The mechanical department had a guy running his mouth when it's known that they're only qualified to make repairs with duct tape or a screwdriver.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The engineer lived, so at least it won't be typical railroad behavior of blaming the dead guy. I work for that carrier. Don't listen to all the experts. The mechanical department had a guy running his mouth when it's known that they're only qualified to make repairs with duct tape or a screwdriver.

Sounds like he was at the back of the train - pushing the cars?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Odds are 95% that the conductor was doing something more important. 5% he had a health issue. They have an emergency brake no? In case of a malfunction of some kind he could have stopped the train as he was entering Hoboken or messaged the station that he was going too fast and couldn't stop. They possibly could have routed the train to one of the southern-most tracks, and at least he would not have crashed into the building.

 

If he was negligent he should be shot.

 

NJ gets its share of the blame as well. Outfitting engines with some sort of alarm or automatic speed control would have cost a lot less than this, especially when you factor in overtime for cops and responders, damage to the building, lawsuits galore. There's no excuse in 2016 not to have some basic safety feature. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Odds are 95% that the conductor was doing something more important. 5% he had a health issue. They have an emergency brake no? In case of a malfunction of some kind he could have stopped the train as he was entering Hoboken or messaged the station that he was going too fast and couldn't stop. They possibly could have routed the train to one of the southern-most tracks, and at least he would not have crashed into the building.

 

If he was negligent he should be shot.

 

NJ gets its share of the blame as well. Outfitting engines with some sort of alarm or automatic speed control would have cost a lot less than this, especially when you factor in overtime for cops and responders, damage to the building, lawsuits galore. There's no excuse in 2016 not to have some basic safety feature.

If you think the conductor operates a train you should keep your opinions about this topic to yourself.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A Conductor while responsible overall for the train, does not operate (drive) the train, the engineer does.  This particular train did not have the emergency braking system installed.  That is NJ Transit's fault, not the engineer's. The engineer operates the train from a remote console in the lead car when going into Hoboken, the engine is pushing.  That would make him the first to the scene of the crash, and he survived.  A  miracle.  If you think steel on steel emergency brakes stop a train on a dime and give you nine cents change, think again.  Engine weighs about 150 tons or more, cars are 60 tons or more, each.  See how fast you can stop that gliding steel on steel, with a wet rail.  I know for a fact that at 5MPH, those trains if they hit the barrier will move it more than 8 feet. Seen it myself.  Once the barrier is compromised only the lack of inertia will stop that train. 

 

What happened, I do not know. We will see how they spin this.  Heard last night from a reliable source, that the engineer is a straight arrow. An engineer's engineer.  Long stellar record with NJ Transit. 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So it's been 24 hours, everyone on the train including the engineer survived, he's conscious and talking, and there's still not even an inkling of what happened??

 

I bet one Internet dollar there is some crazy spin on this

 

this signature exceeds the 15 character capacity count

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Schumer calls a Press Conference in 3,2,1.............

 

T Bill hits nail on the head, and I'll add this:  With an engine pushing a train, IF (and it's a big IF) he applied full brakes and the engine was still actively pushing due to an electro-mechanical failure, you would get LOTS of steel-on-steel squealing right before impact, with ZERO chance of stopping it.  With that much weight, it's akin to having a Flat Top start slowing down MILES from Port :) .

 

Engineer appears to be a straight arrow, workin' there since just outta HS.  My bet is toxicology comes back with ZIPKIS.  

 

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I believe someone with this much experience driving trains could simply close his/her eyes, feel every bend in the tracks & time the approach with a stopwatch like a Navigator on a Fast Attack and/or a Boomer (a-la Hunt For Red Oktober).  The Engineer KNEW what was going to happen a LONG time before impact.  Hopefully the boxes will say he applied brakes to slow it down.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Schumer calls a Press Conference in 3,2,1.............

 

 

What is scarier than getting between cubs and a mamma bear?  Getting between Chuck U Schumer and a TV camera on a Sunday before the nightly news!

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Pot.  Kettle.  Black.

 

Simmer down.

Jesus I wrote conductor instead of "engineer." If I corrected every typo or misspelling you guys make in these forums we'd have to start three new threads. F-ing genius knows the engineer not the conductor is in charge. Amazing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...