2016 Hoboken train crash

2016 railroad disaster in New Jersey, US September 2016 September 2016 2016 Hoboken train crash NJT 6036 after Hoboken crash, October 2016.jpg The cab car surrounded by the destroyed canopy USA New Jersey Hudson County#New Jersey#USA 40 44 5.64 N 74 1 40.08 W inline,title 2016 09 29 about 8:38 a.m. EDT (UTC-4)Jansen Bart NTSB: Hoboken train speed nearly tripled before crash https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/10/13/hoboken-train-crash-ntsb/91993624/ 8 March 2017 13 Oct 2016 Hoboken, New Jersey United States Pascack Valley Line NJ Transit Train operator's fatigue due to undiagnosed sleep apneaSalant Jonathan D. Feds determine cause of deadly Hoboken train crash https://www.nj.com/politics/2018/02/safety_board_blames_hoboken_crash_on.html 23 November 2021 nj.com 6 February 2018 1 (NJ Transit commuter train) 1 114 On September 29, 2016, an NJ Transit commuter train crashed at Hoboken Terminal in Hoboken, New Jersey. The accident occurred during the morning rush hour, at one of the busiest transportation hubs in the New York metropolitan area.Berkeley Jr. Lovelace Update: At least 1 person confirmed dead, dozens injured in Hoboken train crash https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/29/major-train-accident-occurs-in-hoboken-nj-injuries-reported-wnbc.html CNBC September 29, 2016 September 29, 2016 One person died, and 114 others were injured.Christopher Maag One dead, over 100 injured after NJ Transit train hits Hoboken station http://www.northjersey.com/news/report-3-dead-up-to-100-injured-after-nj-transit-train-hits-hoboken-station-1.1668790 The Record September 29, 2016 September 29, 2016 The train operator, who was in the cab car, was among the injured.At Least 3 Reported Dead, More Than 100 Hurt After Train Crash at Hoboken, NJ Station https://www.foxnews.com/us/woman-killed-108-injured-after-train-crashes-into-hoboken-nj-station Fox News September 29, 2016 September 29, 2016 Background NJ Transit is the third-busiest commuter railroad in the United States. Before the 2016 crash, the last fatal incident on the railroad was the 1996 Secaucus train collision.Emma G. Fitzsimmons https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/02/nyregion/nj-transit-was-under-investigation-before-fatal-crash-federal-rail-official-says.html New Jersey Transit Was Under Investigation Before Fatal Crash The New York Times October 1, 2016 NJ Transit had been under audit by the Federal Railroad Administration since June 2016, before the crash. The probe was prompted by an increase in safety violations and led to federal citations of the agency. Crash thumb|left|Cab car #6036 resting against the terminal wall after the crash Pascack Valley Line train #1614 left the Spring Valley station in Spring Valley, New York, at 7:23 a.m. EDT, bound for Hoboken. Entering the Hoboken terminal around 8:45 a.m., the train went over the bumper block and through the rail concourse, coming to rest at the wall right before the station's waiting area. The cab car sustained major structural damage.https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/30/nyregion/new-jersey-transit-train-crash-hoboken.html Hoboken Train Crash Leaves at Least One Dead and Dozens Injured McGeehan Patrick Rosenberg Eli 2016-09-29 Fitzsimmons Emma G. The New York Times 0362-4331 2016-09-29 One witness reported that the train "never slowed down" as it entered the station, which is located at the end of the line.https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/09/29/transit-train-crashes-new-jersey-station/91261182/ One dead, 108 hurt, many questions after N.J. train tragedy Maag Christopher Fallon Scott 2016-09-29 USA Today Bacon John 2016-09-29 The train involved in the crash reportedly did not have an automatic brake system using positive train control (PTC), which is used to slow the train in case the engineer does not apply the brake in time. It is unclear whether PTC would have prevented the crash.Jansen Bart Train in Hoboken crash lacked automatic brakes https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/09/29/new-jersey-transit-crash-reminder-need-automatic-braking/91269796/ September 29, 2016 USA Today September 29, 2016 Train #1614 consisted of four NJ Transit Comet V passenger cars (cab car #6036 and 3 coaches) and one NJT GP40PH-2B locomotive (#4214).https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/surveillance-video-shows-nj-train-crashed-42457585 Surveillance Video Shows NJ Train Before It Crashed ABC News September 29, 2016 Train #1614 was a local service, making all stops on the Pascack Valley Line.http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/R0010.pdf Pascack Valley Line Timetable NJT September 29, 2016 November 7, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161107152439/http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/R0010.pdf dead Comet V Cab Car #6036 was leading the train at the time of the accident, with locomotive #4214 pushing from the rear.Sandoval Edgar Silverstein Jason McShane Larry September 29, 2016 New Jersey Transit crash at Hoboken station leaves 108 injured, one resident dead; investigators want engineer to explain what happened http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/train-crashes-new-jersey-transit-hoboken-station-article-1.2811435 September 29, 2016 The New York Daily News Casualties thumb|Damaged cab car The accident caused one death and injured at least 114 other people. The Jersey City Medical Center treated 66 people for injuries from the crash; 53 of these were released from the hospital by the afternoon following the crash. The Hoboken University Medical Center treated 23 patients and the Christ Hospital treated one patient; of these all but two were released by the evening following the crash. The lone fatality, a woman standing on the platform, was killed by falling debris.http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/29/us/new-jersey-hoboken-train-crash/index.html Hoboken train crash: 1 dead, more than 100 injured Hanna Jason Feyerick Deborah September 29, 2016 CNN September 29, 2016 The victim was identified as attorney Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, 34, a married mother of one and native of Brazil who had recently moved to Hoboken.Pozzi Sandro 30 September 2016 Acidente de trem em Nova Jersey mata brasileira e deixa dezenas de feridos http://brasil.elpais.com/brasil/2016/09/29/internacional/1475155728_710668.html 30 September 2016 El País pt-brHoboken woman, 34, killed in NJ Transit train crash identified http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2016/09/hoboken_woman_34_killed_in_nj_transit_train_crash.html September 30, 2016 NJ.com September 29, 2016 The majority of those injured were passengers on the crashed train. http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/The-Latest-Passenger-in-crash-says-he-saw-woman-9436481.php The Latest: Mayor says train crash victim was from Hoboken San Francisco Chronicle September 29, 2016 September 29, 2016 Impact thumb|left|Collapsed portions of the station roof after the crash Initial eyewitness reports indicated that portions of the station roof collapsed, as did part of the roof of the train shed, and that water was spraying from the site of the accident. Major structural damage to the station was reported. Following the accident, rail service to and from the Hoboken station (including PATH service) was suspended, and local buses and ferries, as well as Metro-North Railroad, were cross-honoring NJ Transit train tickets. PATH service was suspended due to fears that the roof of the PATH station, where the derailed NJ Transit train came to rest, might collapse. PATH service into and out of the station was restored by the end of the day,Newman Andy How to Get Home After the Hoboken Train Crash The New York Times September 30, 2016 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/30/nyregion/how-to-get-home-after-the-hoboken-train-crash.html September 30, 2016 as was Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service in and out of the station.NJTRANSIT 781789453832433664 #HBLR has been restored in/out of Hoboken and is running on or close to schedule following yesterday's train accident at Hoboken Station September 29, 2016 September 30, 2016 Delays to rail service in the area persisted into the following week.September 29, 2016 How to get around following the Hoboken train crash http://abc7ny.com/news/how-to-get-around-following-the-hoboken-train-crash/1532145/ October 6, 2016 WABC-TV Investigation thumb|right|NTSB Vice Chairman Bella Dinh-Zarr and other NTSB employees outside Hoboken terminal. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was responsible for investigating the accident. An NTSB "go team" was sent to the scene,NTSB_Newsroom 781504067197607936 September 29, 2016 (untitled) and the Federal Railroad Administration also dispatched investigators.https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/30/nyregion/new-jersey-transit-train-crash-hoboken.html Hoboken Train Crash Leaves at Least One Dead and Dozens Injured September 29, 2016 Patrick McGeehan Eli Rosenberg Emma G. Fitzsimmons The New York Times September 30, 2016 Although injured, the train engineer cooperated with the investigation, and both the engineer and the train conductor were interviewed by investigators.Samantha Schmidt Alan Feuer https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/03/nyregion/nj-transit-engineer-has-no-memory-of-fatal-train-crash-officials-say.html N.J. Transit Engineer Has No Memory of Fatal Train Crash, Officials Say The New York Times October 2, 2016 The engineer lacked any memory of the accident itself. According to the federal investigators, the engineer "felt well rested and was unaware of any mechanical problems in the moments before the accident." Among other things, the NTSB investigation attempted to determine whether or not positive train control could have prevented the accident.Bella Dinh-Zarr September 29, 2016 NTSB Vice Chairman Bella Dinh-Zarr brief on Hoboken, NJ train accident September 29, 2016 Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9kzgczIWVU September 30, 2016 2:08 National Transportation Safety Board The day following the crash, investigators retrieved one of the two train event recorders (black boxes) from the wreckage, but it was unusable.September 30, 2016 Black box recorder recovered from wreckage of fatal New Jersey train crash http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-new-jersey-train-crash-20160930-story.html September 30, 2016 Chicago Tribune Associated PressCamila Domonoske https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/30/496060407/federal-investigators-recover-black-box-from-hoboken-train-crash Federal Investigators Find 'Black Box' From Hoboken Train Crash NPR September 30, 2016 September 30, 2016 The second black box was successfully recovered in the first week of October 2016.Ortiz Erik October 4, 2016 Hoboken Crash: NTSB Recovers Second Black Box, Operator's Cellphone https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hoboken-crash-ntsb-recovers-second-black-box-operator-s-cellphone-n659551 NBC News On October 4, 2016, FEMA claimed responsibility for what appeared to have been a hijacking of Utica, New York TV station WKTV foreshadowing the disaster, which was under independent investigation by Snopes. FEMA told Snopes that they were conducting cross-nation tests for the EAS test and development message aggregators, using lines from various Dr. Seuss books as placeholder messages, when WKTV's EAS device mistakenly relayed to the public the messages it received in its testing environment. The chosen verse from Green Eggs and Ham and its proximity to Hoboken was purely coincidental, and FEMA had no culpability in the train crash.LaCapria Kim New York Television Station Broadcasts Bizarre Warning Before Hoboken Train Crash https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/new-york-television-station-broadcasts-bizarre-warning-before-hoboken-train-crash/ WKTV participated in a nationwide planned Emergency Alert System test, but a bizarre and unplanned message led to Hoboken train crash conspiracy theories. October 13, 2016 Snopes October 3, 2016 en-US Canedo Nick October 5, 2016 Did TV station in Upstate NY broadcast 'train' warning night before Hoboken crash? https://www.newyorkupstate.com/utica/2016/10/did_tv_station_in_upstate_ny_b.html New York Upstate New York October 13, 2023 On October 6, 2016, the train was removed from the station area for further investigation.Higgs Larry October 7, 2016 Wrecked NJ Transit train removed from Hoboken Terminal http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/10/wrecked_nj_transit_train_removed_from_hoboken_term.html#incart_river_home_pop November 16, 2016 nj.com In November 2016, attorney Jack Arsenault said his client, the train engineer Thomas Gallagher, suffered from severe sleep apnea which was undiagnosed until after the crash. NJ Transit has a sleep apnea screening program but, despite that, a physical exam in July 2016 had cleared Gallagher for duty. Gallagher, aged 48 and with 18 years experience as a train engineer, said he had no memory of the crash and was lying on the cab floor when he woke up after the impact. An official briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press under condition of anonymity that the investigation had considered whether sleep apnea was a possible cause of the crash.https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/11/16/engineer-in-new-jersey-train-crash-had-undiagnosed-sleep-apnea.html Engineer in New Jersey train crash had undiagnosed sleep apnea Toronto Star from The Associated Press Michael Balsamo & David Klepper 16 November 2016 2016-11-17 Cause On February 6, 2018 the NTSB released their probable cause of the accident. The NTSB determined that the engineer's failure to stop was caused by fatigue due to undiagnosed sleep apnea. Contributing to the accident was NJ Transit's failure to follow their internal sleep apnea screening guidance to find at-risk workers and refer them for testing and treatment. NJ Transit failed to identify end of track collisions as a hazard despite numerous previous accidents. Additionally, the FRA was cited for their failure to require railroad to screen safety-critical workers for sleep disorders.Tate Curtis February 6, 2018 NTSB: Failure to screen NJ Transit engineer for sleeping disorder caused Hoboken crash https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2018/02/06/ntsb-failure-screen-nj-transit-engineer-sleeping-disorder-caused-hoboken-crash/310969002/ June 1, 2023 North Jersey Media Group en-USNational Transportation Safety Board February 6, 2018 Railroad Accident Brief: New Jersey Transit Train Strikes Wall in Hoboken Terminal https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAB1801.pdf May 31, 2023 The FRA exempted NJ Transit from installing positive train control (PTC) at Hoboken Terminal. The NTSB stated that PTC could not be relied on to prevent end of terminal accidents. They stated the need for other technology to intervene prior to the collision. Hoboken Terminal has the original steel-and-concrete bumpers from when it was opened in 1907. The bumping post design was identified for only protecting low-speed unpowered accidents and therefore were insufficient in providing protection without technology to prevent end of track collisions. It is believed newer bumpers with hydraulic shock absorbers and sled-like friction shoes would have reduced the impact.December 22, 2016 Modern bumper might have mitigated fatal Hoboken train crash NJ.com Associated Press http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/12/modern_bumper_might_have_mitigated_september_train.html#incart_river_home January 4, 2017National Transportation Safety Board February 6, 2018 Special Investigation Report: End-of-Track Collisions at Terminal Stations Hoboken, New Jersey, September 29, 2016 and Atlantic Terminal, Brooklyn, New York, January 4, 2017 https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-studies/Documents/SIR1801.pdf Aftermath Following the train crash, New Jersey Transit issued new regulations requiring that engineers must be accompanied by at least one other crew member as they pull a train into Hoboken Station.https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/nyregion/nj-transit-hoboken-station.html N.J. Transit Changes Rules for Trains Arriving at Hoboken Station McGeehan Patrick 5 October 2016 The New York Times October 6, 2016 In addition NJ Transit also mandated a reduction in the approaching speed limit into the train station from 10 miles per hour to 5 miles per hour. The Hoboken Terminal remained closed until October 10, when Tracks 10 through 17 were reopened with a modified service schedule.Higgs Larry 2016-10-07 NJ Transit to resume train service Monday at Hoboken Terminal https://www.nj.com/traffic/2016/10/hoboken_terminal_to_open_monday_for_commuter_rail.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20190729225618/https://www.nj.com/traffic/2016/10/hoboken_terminal_to_open_monday_for_commuter_rail.html July 29, 2019 2021-08-06 NJ.com enPorter David October 10, 2016 Train service resumes after deadly Hoboken crash The Record Associated Press http://www.northjersey.com/news/train-service-resumes-after-deadly-hoboken-crash-1.1674739 dead January 4, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20161024154215/http://www.northjersey.com/news/train-service-resumes-after-deadly-hoboken-crash-1.1674739 24 Oct 2016 NorthJersey.com Full service was not restored until October 17; Tracks 5 and 6, where the train crashed, remained closed while repairs were carried out.October 16, 2016 Beginning tomorrow, expansion of rail service to Hoboken Terminal http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=3083 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20180316124744/http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=3083 16 Mar 2018 November 16, 2016 New Jersey Transit news release The pedestrian concourse reopened on May 14, 2017. Track 6 reopened for service in June 2017 and track 5 reopened for service sometime around September 2018.Moriarty Thomas May 14, 2017 Hoboken Terminal concourse reopened 7 months after fatal crash https://www.nj.com/hudson/2017/05/hoboken_terminal_concourse_reopened_7_months_after.html live May 16, 2017 NJ.com https://web.archive.org/web/20201111212907/https://www.nj.com/hudson/2017/05/hoboken_terminal_concourse_reopened_7_months_after.html November 11, 2020 The planning for permanent repairs to the concourse roof and supports were ongoing during this time.2017-04-03 RAIL: Hoboken terminal crash repairs will not be done until 2019 https://www.roadsbridges.com/rail-hoboken-terminal-crash-repairs-will-not-be-done-until-2019 2021-08-06 www.roadsbridges.com en In a February 2019 statement, NJ Transit stated that permanent repairs and renovations will begin in March and last for approximately one year.February 2019 Hoboken Terminal: Ceiling Repair & Renovation Work - Beginning March 2019 https://www.njtransit.com/sa/sa_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=ConstructionAdvisoryTo&AdvisoryId=4401 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20190216153115/https://www.njtransit.com/sa/sa_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=ConstructionAdvisoryTo&AdvisoryId=4401 16 Feb 2019 February 15, 2019 njtransit.com New Jersey Transit (Alerts and Advisories page) In April 2019, NJ Transit stated that all repairs would be completed by the end of 2019,Higgs Larry 2019-04-02 Repairs to start on last remaining damage from fatal Hoboken train crash https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/04/repairs-to-start-on-last-remaining-damage-from-fatal-hoboken-train-crash.html live 2021-08-06 NJ.com en https://web.archive.org/web/20190402182552/https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/04/repairs-to-start-on-last-remaining-damage-from-fatal-hoboken-train-crash.html April 2, 2019 which they succeeded in doing.Hoboken Terminal Repair https://www.dmrconstruct.net/hoboken-terminal-repair 2021-08-06 DMR Construction en Similar incidents A similar accident occurred at the same station in December 1985, injuring 54 people.https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/31/nyregion/54-injured-as-train-crashes-at-end-of-track-in-hoboken-terminal.html 54 INJURED AS TRAIN CRASHES AT END OF TRACK IN HOBOKEN TERMINAL Narvaez Alfonso A. 1985-12-31 The New York Times 2018-06-12 The 1985 crash was said to have been caused by a lubricant that had been applied to the tracks to test train wheels.https://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/officials-train-crashes-into-hoboken-station-killing-1-injuring-108-x83582 https://web.archive.org/web/20160930033238/http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/officials-train-crashes-into-hoboken-station-killing-1-injuring-108-1.12383826 live September 30, 2016 Officials ID woman killed in train crash that hurt 114 2016-09-29 Newsday 2016-09-30 Another similar incident occurred at Hoboken in May 2011, involving a PATH train which failed to stop at the end of a platform. The train crashed into a bumper block, injuring 32 people.November 5, 2012 Railroad Accident Report: Collision of Port Authority Trans-Hudson Train with Bumping Post at Hoboken Station, Hoboken, New Jersey, May 8, 2011 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR1205.pdf National Transportation Safety BoardLindsey Bever Martine Powers Mark Berman Faiz Siddiqui https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2016/09/29/new-jersey-commuter-train-crashes-into-hoboken-station-injuries-reported/ Train crashes into N.J. station, killing one person and injuring 108 September 29, 2016 The Washington Post September 29, 2016 On January 4, 2017, a Long Island Railroad commuter train crashed at Atlantic Terminal, injuring 103 people. The accident was also attributed to sleep apnea.Bacon John 2017-01-04 'Total chaos': 100 hurt in LIRR train crash in Brooklyn https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/01/04/lirr-commuter-train-derails-brooklyn-76-injured/96148988/ 2024-10-15 USA TODAY en-US The December 2013 Spuyten Duyvil derailment was attributed to sleep apnea, which was found to be a factor in the 2016 Hoboken crash. See also New Jersey Trains List of American railroad accidents List of rail accidents (2010–2019) Other accidents where engineers had sleep problems: 2008 Massachusetts train collision, trolley crash also blamed (posthumously) on the engineer's undiagnosed sleep apnea Bourne End rail crash, British accident where a sleep-challenged engineer may have lost attention going into a curve. Redondo Junction train wreck, deadliest rail accident in Los Angeles history; engineer said he "blacked out" beforehand References 30em External links Crash of NJ Transit commuter train, Hoboken, NJ - NTSB collapsed Category:2016 in New Jersey Category:Hoboken, New Jersey Category:NJ Transit Rail Operations Category:Railway accidents in 2016 Category:Railway accidents and incidents in New Jersey Category:September 2016 in the United States