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PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD
RAIL TRANSIT AGENCY REPORT PTSB Case No. Property Name Accident Date
12733 MTA - Staten Island Railway August 7, 2014
Injuries Fatalities Accident Type Accident Cause
0 0 Derailment Track Component Deficiency
Location Borough, City, Village, Town
St. George Terminal Interlocking Staten Island
Synopsis:
On Thursday, August 7, 2014, at approximately 1:48 p.m., westbound Staten Island
Railway train #83 derailed the last car (#388) of a 4-car consist, in the interlocking east of
St. George Terminal. The engineer stated that he was about to make a preliminary stop
approximately 100 feet east of the terminal when the train came to an abrupt stop. The R-4
and R-3 wheels of the #2 truck on car #388 experienced wheel climb approximately three
feet past the tip of the switch point of track switch #67 (reverse) and began to run on top of
the rail head, before dropping off to the field side of the south running rail. The L-4 and L-3
wheels of the #2 truck derailed into the gauge of the track. The train traveled approximately
90 feet from the point of derailment before coming to rest.
Eighty-five passengers and three crew members were evacuated to the right of way by
FDNY personnel using emergency evacuation ladders. The passengers were escorted
along the right of way to the platform at St. George Terminal. There were no reported
injuries as a result of this incident. Damage cost was estimated to be $127,613.91.
NYCT’s Office of System Safety determined that the cause of the derailment was a
combination of factors including: original track design, lack of lubrication on the rails, newly
trued wheels on car #388, and a new switch point rail installed on track switch #67. All of
these factors contributed to the train/track dynamics which promoted wheel climb as the #2
truck on car #388 negotiated the turnout, leading to the derailment. The post incident visual
inspection of the switch point rail showed heavy contact between the wheel flanges and
gauge face of the running rails had been occurring. The heavy contact between was
attributed to a lack of lubrication. It was also discovered that the design of the switches in
the St George interlocking, which were constructed under older Staten Island Railway MW-
1 Track Standards of 1987, did not meet current NYCT MW-1 Track Standards.
FTA Drug & Alcohol Testing:
The crew of train #83 (an engineer and two conductors) were taken to the NYCT Medical
Assessment Center for post incident drug and alcohol testing which by FTA standards
should be administered as soon as practicable following an incident. The following chart
shows the Drug and Alcohol test administration times for each transit employee tested:
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Employee Alcohol Breath Test Urinalysis Drug Test
Time Within 2 Hours? Time Within 32 Hours?
Engineer 15:18 a.m. Yes 15:25 a.m. Yes
Conductor 1 15:18 a.m. Yes 15:31 a.m. Yes
Conductor 2 15:18 a.m. Yes 15:30 a.m. Yes
The FTA alcohol testing was administered to the crew of train #83 within the two hour
guideline. The results of the post incident drug and alcohol testing for all there crew
members, at the time of testing, did not meet concentrations equal to or greater than the
cutoff requirement for a positive drug or alcohol test.
CONCLUSION
Submitted for the review of the Public Transportation Safety Board members is the NYCT Office of
System Safety Derailment Report, St. George Terminal, on August 7, 2014, Final Report issued on
October 23, 2014. Based upon the information presented in this report, the Public Transportation
Safety Board staff concurs with its findings and the actions taken, and makes no additional
comments or recommendations. The PTSB staff will adopt and monitor via the Corrective Action
Plan process, the two internal recommendations issued by the NYCT Office of System Safety in
their Board of Inquiry Final Report, dated October 23, 2014, namely:
12733-1. Staten Island Railway management will notify the NYCT Office of System
Safety when the installation of Track Switch 67 is complete.
Response: Track Switch #67 was replaced during a 55-hour General Order, which took
place from October 24 through October 26, 2014.
CAP Recommendation Status: CLOSED
12733-2. Staten Island Railway management will notify the NYCT Office of System
Safety upon completion of Contract T-80276 “Flood Repairs Saint George
Interlocking”
Response: Staten Island Railway anticipates Contract T-80276 to be completed by
March 30, 2017.
CAP Recommendation Status: OPEN
Investigated by Approved by Date of Board Approval
Robert Maraldo
July 16, 2015
Chief Investigator, PTSB
Attached to this Rail Transit Agency Report is a copy of:
1. NYCT Office of System Safety Final Report: Derailment St. George Terminal, Staten Island
Railway October 23, 2014.