Derailed

My commute this morning was delayed due to a derailment on the NJ Transit Main/Bergen line.


Photo via WNBC-TV, NY

How was I informed that there was a problem? I had dropped Mrs. Lawhawk at the station while I went to park the car and by the time I got to the station, she had heard that there was a problem. It happened minutes earlier and had not yet reached the radio stations so we were committed to taking mass transit one way or another. I also noticed a traffic helicopter flying over the scene of the derailment, which occurred where the Main Line and Bergen Line split at the Ridgewood-Glen Rock border. The accident snarled traffic in both directions on both lines.

There was a bus stop adjacent to the train station, and we hopped on board the first bus to reach the station. Few others took that opportunity - perhaps hoping to wait things out. The bus was packed but we made it into the Port Authority Bus Terminal by 9:00AM. Not too bad considering that the delays on the train were more than an hour.

The bus driver didn't realize that the train passengers could have their tickets cross honored with no problems - fares are based on zones, and train passengers have a higher fare zone than those who take the bus for the same area. There shouldn't have been a problem, yet some train passengers were confused as to whether they could take the bus without having to pay out of pocket. The driver wasn't much help either.

As of this posting, the delays are about 30 minutes both directions on the affected lines. Hopefully, the problems will be fixed by the evening rush hour.

The problem happened at the location where trains are switched from one track to another - an interlocking - though the exact cause is under investigation. No one was injured thankfully in the incident, and the passengers on board the train that derailed were safely evacuated to another train.

UPDATE:
NJ Transit has updated their service schedule for the Main/Bergen Line as a result of the derailment. They hope to have full service restored by 5:00PM:

Beginning at about 10 a.m., Main & Bergen County Line service will operate on a modified schedule while crews work to make repairs to damage caused by this morning’s derailment. We expect repairs to be complete by about 5 p.m. today. EASTBOUND SERVICE Trains will depart Suffern at 11 mins after the hour and operate locally to Glen Rock Main Line Sta. Psgrs destined for Bergen County Line stations will be bused from Glen Rock Main Line to Glen Rock Boro Hall to connect with trains for service to Bergen County Line stations. Passengers may expect 15 minute delays. WESTBOUND SERVICE Bergen County Line trains will depart Hoboken at scheduled times and operate locally to Glen Rock Boro Hall Station. Psgrs starting their trips b/t Rutherford & Glen Rock Boro Hall will be bused from Glen Rock to Suffern. Psgrs boarding at Hoboken and Secaucus for stations beyond Glen Rock should take Main Line trains. Main Line service will depart on schedule, but is subject to 10-15 min delays.

UPDATE:
This doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The derailment was apparently caused by an improperly installed switch. Three NJ Transit workers have been suspended.

One track supervisor and two track foremen have been suspended as a result.

A worn-out switch at the junction where the Main and Bergen County lines converge was replaced 10 days ago, but the repair was done improperly. As a result, the rails were too close together over several feet of track at the junction.

Hundreds of trains have passed through the junction without incident since the switch was replaced. But this morning, when train number 1252 went through at a speed of 36 mph, three of its five passenger cars jumped the rails. NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel said.

UPDATE:
Well, it was a somewhat eventful commute home tonight. There were minor delays of 15-20 minutes as trains were slow through the area of the derailment. NJ Transit personnel were at the scene working on the equipment.

However, there were some issues that NJ Transit needs to resolve. The Hoboken customer service window worker provided incorrect information after 5:00PM. He was providing outdated information - saying that trains on the Main/Bergen line were still ending in Glen Rock and buses would take customers to their final destinations above the derailment site. A supervisor noticed the problem and did eventually correct the worker. Communications needs to be improved both on the trains and in the terminals and stations along the way. More than a few commuters reported problems hearing about the delays or instructions.

This isn't the first time there was a derailment on the Main/Bergen line. A few years back, a truck backed into the track rail bed, and bent the rails out of alignment. Again, it was a train ahead of my own that was involved, and the problems then were communications with customers throughout the system.

The big improvement was that the service was restored quickly in this instance. Communications still needs to be improved.