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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.