Yesterday, during the evening commute, the first car of a southbound 1 train derailed just south of West 125th Street. Service on part of the line was suspended as the FDNY and MTA worked to evacuate passengers and investigate the incident.
A rescue train was initially sent for the 400 passengers, but it didn't make it to the stranded riders. FDNY Chief Dan Donoghue explained, "The problem was the power had been knocked out, so we couldn't get the first train close enough to the derailed train," so another rescue train was sent to get them. NBC New York reports, "A second rescue train arrived to push the first one closer, and the firefighters helped escort passengers from car to car to reach the rear of the derailed train, and then board the rescue train. They were taken to 125th Street."
Of course, while this rescue train operation was happening, passengers were sitting in hot, sweltering cars (no power means no air conditioning!). The firefighters did have water for passengers when they finally got out.
According to WABC 7, "The cause of the derailment is under investigation. There was damage to both the rail and the electrified third rail, and work continued through the night to fix the tracks."
The MTA said late yesterday, "Service on the 1 line has resumed in both directions following a derailment involving a downtown 1 train between 125th St and 116th St Wednesday evening. Repairs have been made to the third rail and to protection boards damaged in the incident, the cause of which remains under investigation. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience while we worked to correct the situation."
