Another Penn Station Derailment Means Troubled Commute for LIRR Riders
The derailment of an NJ TRANSIT train this Monday morning marks the second time in less than two weeks that a Penn Station derailment has reduced the number of tracks available for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and disrupted LIRR riders’ commutes. As the Council did in the case of the March 24 Amtrak derailment in Penn Station, the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council (LIRRCC) is calling for a full and transparent investigation of this incident and for a prompt and candid presentation of the results of this inquiry. There are several commonalities between the March 24 and April 3 incidents, as both derailments occurred at similar times in similar areas in the same station and both involved wheel damage. We trust that investigators will fully consider elements common to both derailments.
Again, this incident underscores the interdependency of each of the carriers serving Penn Station and the impacts that their activities and operations have upon the station’s other users. LIRRCC Chair Mark Epstein said that “These disruptions are not only inconvenient and costly to riders, they also have a major impact on employers, whose workers are delayed or must leave work early to avoid severe congestion, and the region’s economy. In recognition of the profound impacts that Amtrak-owned facilities can have on the commuter railroads that share them, we again call for the appointment of an LIRR rider to the Amtrak Board of Directors. The LIRRCC believes that a commuter rail rider can bring a constructive voice to the Amtrak Board as it considers critical resource and policy decisions.”
Download here: LIRRCC Statement on Penn Station Derailments