This Article is From May 19, 2013

Broken rail eyed in US train crash: official

Broken rail eyed in US train crash: official
Bridgeport, Connecticut: The commuter train derailment and collision that left dozens injured outside New York City was not the result of foul play, officials said, but a fractured section of rail is being studied to determine if it is connected to the accident.

Officials described a devastating scene of shattered cars and other damage where two trains packed with rush-hour commuters collided in Connecticut, saying Saturday it's amazing that no one was killed.

Seventy-two people were sent to the hospital Friday evening after the crash, which damaged the tracks and threatened to snarl travel in the Northeast corridor.

National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener said Saturday the broken rail is of substantial interest to investigators and a portion of the track will be sent to a lab for analysis.

Weener said it's not clear if the accident caused the fracture or if the rail was broken before the crash. He said he won't speculate on the cause of the derailment and emphasized the investigation was in its early stages.

About 700 people were on board the Metro-North trains when one heading east from New York City's Grand Central Terminal to New Haven, Connecticut, derailed at about 6:10 p.m. just outside Bridgeport, Connecticut, officials said.

The train was hit by a train heading west from New Haven to Grand Central on an adjacent track, Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Aaron Donovan said. Some cars on the second train derailed as a result of the collision.

"The damage is absolutely staggering," said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, describing the shattered interior of cars and tons of metal tossed around. "I feel that we are fortunate that even more injuries were not the result of this very tragic and unfortunate accident."

Blumenthal credited first responders, saying their "quick reactions and heroic efforts undoubtedly saved lives."

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy echoed that, saying it was "frankly amazing" people weren't killed in the accident.

Both Connecticut senators said new Metro-North Railroad cars built with higher standards may have saved lives.

Officials couldn't say when Metro-North Railroad service would be restored. The crash also caused Amtrak to suspend its passenger train service between New York and Boston.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived Saturday and are expected to be on site for seven to 10 days. They will look at the brakes and performance of the trains, the condition of the tracks, crew performance and train signal information, among other things.

Passengers described a chaotic, terrifying scene of crunching metal and flying bodies.

"All I know was I was in the air, hitting seats, bouncing around, flying down the aisle and finally I came to a stop on one seat," said Lola Oliver, 49. "It happened so fast I had no idea what was going on. All I know is we crashed."

Passenger Frank Bilotti said he was returning from a business trip in Boston on the westbound train when it crashed.

"Everybody was pretty much tossed around," said Bilotti, 53, who wasn't injured other than a sore neck. He said the derailed train cars dug into the banks of the tracks.

"It was just a tremendous dust bowl," Bilotti said.

Firefighters used ladders to help people evacuate, he said.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said commuters should make plans for alternative travel through the area.

The area where the crash happened was already down to two tracks because of repair work, Malloy said. Crews have been working for a long time on the electric lines above the tracks, the power source for the trains. Malloy said Connecticut has an old system and no other alternate tracks.
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