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| NTSB press confrence - Re: Metro North Incident (1223111) | |||
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NTSB press confrence - Re: Metro North Incident |
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Posted by Gold_12th on Sat May 18 11:59:41 2013, in response to Metro North Incident, posted by Jsun21 on Fri May 17 18:35:31 2013. The probe of the Metro-North train wreck is underway with officials urging rail commuters to start making alternative transportation plans. Investigators from National Transportation Safety Board have arrived in Bridgeport find the cause of Friday evening's Metro-North train collision that left more than 60 people injured. Three patients remained in critical condition Saturday morning, with two of those stable, according to officials at two Bridgeport hospitals. NTSB member Earl Weene said the investigation is focusing on a variety of focal areas including braking performance, condition of wheels, condition of tracks and signals. "Well also be looking at how the crew behaved (and) operated the train," he said. Weene said he believes data recorders were on board to record speed and other information. Asked about foul play, he said "It's too early to rule out anything." Weene said it will be at least a day and a half for investigators to gather "perishible evidence" at the scene. That means that the trains will remain on the scene until the onsite probe if finished. What would follow would be having cranes remove the trains and inspect for any damage to the infrastructure. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined NTSB representatives this morning to inspect the area where two Metro-North train collided in Bridgeport. They were be joined by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy, and other state officials. When asked when he thought train service would return to normal, Malloy said, "We really cannot give you good information on that. We will set up a system to move people from Bridgeport to the next possible station that can handle that traffic. Folks east of Bridgeport, you should begin making plans for alternate travel." After seeing the wreckage, Blumenthal said "the sides of cars torn away like ribbons of cloth ... I feel we were fortunate even more injuries were not the result of this." He believes fact the cars were new saved lives. "One point seems fairly clear...the newly constructed cars seem to have made a difference." Himes was also surprised that there were not more injuries. "The scene down there is enormously violent," he said. About 10:15 a.m., a convoy of more than a dozen NTSB inspectors arrived on seen to tour the wreckage. The two trains remain on the tracks off of Commerce Street in Bridgeport. The trains will remain in place until the NTSB finishes its on-site probe. Cranes will be needed to remove the trains from the tracks. Inspections will also be required to make sure tracks and infrastructure are safe. The crash occurred right behind Steve Junker's car customizing shop, Sunlimited on Commerce drive just below the I-95 overpass. It was business as usual for Junker as Saturdays investigation continued. "We heard a big boom" Junker recalled from night before. But he said he and his stsff were used to the noise because of ongoing construction Down the blocking vicinity of train bridge where Commerce meets Fairfield Avenue. "They're doing construction, pounding beams into the ground. All day long all you here is boom, boom, boom.We assumed it was the grand finale." 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 derailed at about 6:10 p.m. just outside Bridgeport, transit and Bridgeport 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. - http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/NTSB-probe-begins-in-Bridgeport-4527727.php#ixzz2Tf0lhZ5p |
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