Politics & Government

MTA Investigates Two Derailments

What made a wheel jump the track in August and today?

MTA train service to New Canaan was restored at 1:37 p.m. this afternoon.

Metro-North Railroad is investigating the cause of this derailment as well as a derailment on August 18. Both accidents occurred at the Grove St. crossing. In both incidents, a train wheel climbed the track and the train had to be lifted and repositioned.

"It remains a mystery to us," Dan Brucker, a spokesman for the MTA told Patch.  "We are still investigating. We have examined the track conditions, making sure the tracks are perfectly parallel, checked elevations, examined the wheels—brand new wheels can climb—these were not new and neither were other ones."  

Find out what's happening in New Canaanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Brucker does not know whether or not the equipment that derailed this morning is the same train that went off the track two weeks ago. 

"We checked the train equipment itself today, to see if something on the train is out of alignment," Brucker said. "There is a reason we haven't found, and we're searching for that reason."

Find out what's happening in New Canaanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

MTA work to upgrade the tracks at the New Canaan train station has been ruled out as a possible cause.

Commuter traffic will increase beginning Tuesday morning after the Labor Day Weekend.  Selectman Rob Mallozzi is confident passengers aren't in danger.

"The good news is the train moves so slowly through the gates," he said. "Injuries are a low probability with a train going that speed."

Still, commuters deserve an explanation.

"Clearly there's a problem here and clearly we're going to want some answers from MTA about why this is going on," Mallozzi said.


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