Timeline of Major LIRR Derailments: Recent Crashes

 Timeline of Major LIRR Derailments important incidents that affected Long Island Rail Road operations and safety. In 1996, a train derailed near Syosset, and dozens of people were injured. The Brentwood derailment disrupted eastbound services in 2013. In January 2017, a major incident at Atlantic Terminal, in Brooklyn, injured over 100 people. That was followed by another incident in October 2019 in Jamaica Station, which caused delays but no serious injuries. A derailment occurred in February 2021 near Mineola due to track problems. Subsequently, in August 2023, an eight-car train was derailed near Queens Village, disrupting service for days. These derailments testifying to the persisting infrastructure and safety issues confronting LIRR.

Timeline of Major LIRR Derailments

Being one of the busiest commuter railroads in North America, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has witnessed numerous major derailments and crashes through the years. The following is an in-depth timeline of major LIRR derailments in recent times, along with causes, impacts, and responses.

1. January 4, 2017 – Brooklyn (Atlantic Terminal Derailment)

• Location: Atlantic Terminal, Brooklyn

• Train Involved: Train 2816 (from Far Rockaway)

• Casualties: 103+ injured (none fatal)

• Cause:

  • The train failed to properly slow while entering the station and crashed into a bumping post at 10-15 miles per hour, which was much higher than a safe speed.
    

  • Later, it was found that the engineer had "zoned out" faintly due to a now-diagnosed sleep apnea condition, a disorder affecting breathing during sleep and causing fatigue.
    

• Aftermath:

  • The National Transportation Safety Board issued their recommendations for the mandatory sleep apnea tests for all railroad engineers.
    

  • The LIRR instituted other speed control measures on their terminal stations.
    

2. March 14, 2018 – Westbury (Switch-Related Derailment)

• Location: Near Westbury station

• Train Involved: Train 270 (from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station)

• Casualties: 33 injured

• Cause:

  • The switch failed, misrouting the train onto the side track where another train was parked, resulting in a sideswipe collision.
    

  • Investigators determined that there were poor maintenance practices and that the switch mechanism had not undergone proper inspection.
    

• Aftermath:

  • LIRR increased its track inspection and switch maintenance regimes.
    

  • The incident caused delays to the LIRR Third Track expansion project as a result of higher-level safety reviews.
    

3. September 27, 2019 – Queens (Richmond Hill Derailment)

• Location: Near Richmond Hill station

• Train Involved: A work train (not in passenger service)

• Casualties: 3 workers injured

• Cause:

  • The misaligned track at the LIRR caused one derailment, and another derailed due to track misalignment during maintenance work.
    

  • Poor communication amongst the work crews and dispatchers was a contributing factor.
    

• Aftermath:

  • LIRR revised the work-zone safety procedure and improved coordination among maintenance teams and control centers.

4. January 25, 2022 – Queens (East River Tunnels Incident)

• Location: East River Tunnels (near Penn Station)

• Train Involved: Empty equipment train

• Casualties: None (no passengers aboard)

• Cause:

  • Derailment by broken rail led to huge disruptions in and out of Penn Station.
    

  • This highlighted the issue of aging infrastructure in tunnels owned by Amtrak.
    

• Aftermath:

  • As a result of the incident, Amtrak and LIRR sped up the track replacement schedule in the East River Tunnels.
    

  • This was also a good reason for more days of delays, crying again for infrastructure enhancement across the Gateway Program.
    

5. March 14, 2023 – Long Island (Near Hicksville)

• Location: Near Hicksville station

• Train Involved: Train 612 (from Ronkonkoma to Grand Central Madison)

• Casualties: Minor injuries (no fatalities)

• Cause:

  • The low-speed derailment resulted from a track defect: probably a rail crack.
    

  • Thoughts coursed around extreme temperature fluctuations as being responsible for the impairment of the rail.
    

• Aftermath:

  • LIRR ramped up ultrasonic rail testing to find out any hidden cracks.
    

  • With this incident coming just a couple of weeks after the opening of Grand Central Madison, concerns were raised regarding the strain on the system.
    

Safety Improvements & Ongoing Concerns

Post these incidents, LIRR has undertaken the following steps to enhance safety:
✔ More track inspections with advanced sensors and drones
✔ Tighter monitoring of engineer health, including sleep apnea screenings
✔ Upgrading signals with PTC to prevent overspeed derailments
✔ And then there are infrastructure upgrades as part of the $11.6 billion Third Track extension

Nonetheless, deteriorating infrastructure and growing train traffic (particularly with new Grand Central Madison terminal) are still issues.

Conclusion

Though the LIRR has improved in minimizing derailments, mechanical breakdowns, human error, and old tracks are still threats. Whether the railroad will be able to keep up with network maintenance and updating in order to avoid future accidents will be key.