Ten people were slightly injured when an eight-car LIRR train derailed Thursday morning near the Jamaica station.
Long Island Rail Road commuters can expect delays for Thursday and Friday morning’s rush hours, the MTA said. The derailment, which sent all eight cars off the tracks, caused damage to ties and other parts of rail infrastructure.
The train had left Grand Central and was headed for Hempstead when the accident occurred about half a mile east of the Jamaica station. Passengers, including those who were injured, were put onto another train.
At a press conference about 90 minutes after the derailment, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the 722 train derailed about 11:12 a.m. He said he boarded the train carrying passengers from the derailment were shaken up but calm “and gracious.”
MTA communications, including train apps and social media, are expected to provide regular updates on schedule changes, the MTA said.
The train was traveing at 54 MPH at the time of the accident.
Press conferences starts at about 3 minutes in on the Youtube clip.