Federal investigators have released details explaining how two NJ Transit trains collided and derailed in Montclair, injuring 17 people last month.
The crash happened around 6:47 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, when eastbound NJ Transit commuter train 1079 struck a stopped NJ Transit commuter train 1055 on Track 2 of the Montclair-Boonton Line in Montclair, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Both trains had been traveling westbound earlier that evening but were rerouted to operate eastbound on Track 2 after downed trees from a storm blocked Track 1, the NTSB said. The struck train was stopped on Track 2 while waiting for a train ahead to depart Bay Street Station, the agency said.
The collision occurred in a sharp right-hand curve on a downhill grade, where sight distance was limited to about 126 feet when the standing train could first be seen. At the time, the striking train was operating under a stop-and-proceed signal that required movement at restricted speed, investigators said.
The striking train collided with the stopped train at about 17 mph, according to the NTSB. Three cars from the striking train derailed, along with one car from the stopped train, the agency said.
All six crew members from both trains were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the NTSB said. The 11 passengers on the stopped train declined medical transport, and there were no passengers aboard the striking train.
The NTSB said investigators examined the track, signals, and equipment at the scene, reviewed event recorder and image data, and conducted interviews. The investigation remains ongoing and will focus on NJ Transit’s internal oversight, operational procedures, and Positive Train Control functionality during restricted-speed operations, the agency said.
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