A recent federal report sheds light on the communication breakdown that led to the collision of two out-of-service subway trains in New York City earlier this month. According to the report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a worker guiding one of the trains lost radio contact with the driver before the crash occurred.
The incident took place near the 96th Street station on Manhattan's Upper West Side, derailing both trains and resulting in minor injuries to approximately 25 individuals. While the report does not identify the exact cause of the collision, it outlines the events leading up to the incident, as the federal investigation is still ongoing.
About an hour prior to the collision, a passenger on the train had pulled the emergency brake cords on the first five railcars. Unfortunately, workers were unable to reset the brakes, leading to the decision to take the train out of service and disable the brakes in those cars so that it could be moved to a railyard for repairs.
In order to move the train, the operator had to drive from the sixth carriage, with another worker in the front car relaying instructions via radio. However, the worker in the front informed investigators that he lost radio communication near the 96th Street stop, and consequently, the operator never received a message to halt at a red signal located at the end of the platform.
While the tracks were equipped with 'trip-stops,' which are designed to activate a train's emergency brakes in such situations, the system did not function properly due to the disabled brakes in the five cars, as stated in the report.
Richard Davey, president of New York City transit for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), reported during a press briefing that tests confirmed both workers' radios were working. However, it remains unclear whether they were turned on or off at the time of the incident.
Davey noted that one worker operating a train with disabled brakes from the center, while another provides guidance from the front, is a common practice and occurs without incident approximately 10 to 12 times a week. He emphasized the need to examine potential changes that could prevent such collisions from happening again.
'We're also going to look at procedures and processes. So this is not just about the actions of two individuals who may or may not have followed process and protocol,' Davey stated.
As the investigation continues, the NTSB and the MTA will delve deeper into the underlying causes of the communication breakdown and explore measures that can be taken to avoid similar incidents in the future.
