MTA blames Queens F train derailment on a combination of track defects

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The MTA has released its final report into the cause an F train derailment in Queens in May, blaming poor routine maintenance.

The report says the combined effect of several track defects likely caused six cars to derail -- defects that were known about before the accident.

In one spot, a metal plate and fasteners under the rail were broken for at least a year but were never replaced.

As a result, three maintenance supervisors and a track inspector received 10-day suspensions for their roles in the derailment.

The report uses prior inspection reports to identify several minor defects in track components present at the point of derailment. Individually, none of them was capable of causing a derailment, but the combination of defects in one location was the most likely cause of the derailment.

New York City Transit has changed its inspection protocols to ensure rail defects are appropriately identified and repaired.

"Nothing is more important than providing the safest transportation possible for our customers and employees, so determining the cause of this derailment was a top priority for us," New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco said. "We immediately took corrective action to ensure we always focus on identifying and correcting track defects. This will minimize the risk of future derailments."

The eight-car F train derailed shortly after 10 a.m. on May 2 as it traveled toward Manhattan on the express track south of the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av station, under Broadway at 60th Street. A 7-foot, 11-inch section of a 19-foot, 6-inch-long rail fractured beneath the train as it traveled at approximately 40 miles per hour, causing six of the eight cars to derail. Approximately 1,000 people were safely evacuated by city rescue services. Thirty customers and two employees reported minor injuries, and the damage was valued at more than $2 million.

New York City Transit's comprehensive track inspection program requires every inch of mainline track to be walked and inspected by trained personnel twice a week, and by supervisors twice a month. Automated inspection cars also traverse the system regularly to assess track geometry and to use ultrasonic technology to scan for rail defects invisible to the naked eye.