BREAKING NJ Transit train overruns platform - At least 1 dead, terminal severely damaged

Source

A New Jersey Transit train plowed through a major station in Hoboken during Thursday morning's rush-hour commute, killing at least one person and injuring more than 100 others, some seriously, local officials said.

Hoboken is a major terminal across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan.

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Just what NYC needed, another tragedy. Doesn't look like this was terrorism, but an unfortunate accident. Although I'm a railfan and these accidents won't keep me from riding the rails, it's still unnerving.

I live in New Jersey. Last night I was coming back from NYC and my NJ Transit train was delayed due to "power issues."

I did not go through the Hoboken Station, but this still makes me feel uneasy.

Couldn't help myself. All jokes aside I hope the injuries don't turn to more deaths. Crazy stuff.

The Hoboken terminal is in New Jersey, not New York or NYC. Although a small amount of New Yorkers from upstate Rockland and Orange county were likely on that train.

Apparently NJ Transit lost 21% of its budget due to budget disputes at the state level. None of its trains have a modern safety feature to automatically slow down trains at certain intersections. Much of its fleet of trains is outdated and some need extensive repairs. So in the event the incident is not soley blamed on human error. NJ Transit currently doesn't have the money to fix their extensive problems. And also needs help to fix the terminal damage caused by that crash. Which sucks as thousands of commuters rely on NJ transit to get to work.

@jak42: Thanks Chris Christie!

Yeah, he screwed us over pretty bad.

@nikkycat: Christie has surely fallen from grace. Went from a potential presidential candidate. To sucking up to Trump early on to salvage his political career after bridgegate.

And NJ Transit is not the only one that has suffered under Christie reign. NJ firefighters and cops, got screwed over with their pension plans. That requires them to make larger contributions, but practically is an additional tax. As the money was not going towards their pensions, but to other state affairs.

Fixing NJ transit would raise GDP we need to build better transits everywhere.

Prayers sent up to the dead woman thus far and to the injured.

From the source

New Jersey Transit is the "third largest provider of bus, rail and light rail transit in the nation." Roughly 15,100 people board through the Hoboken station each weekday, according to the agency.

15K+ is a lot of people not getting to work, school, volunteer station, etc. Also I would presume this might affect people who transfer via this station? Not sure though as I know nothing about the NJ light rail system.

@sayyy-gaa: There are alternatives. The trains that go to/from Hoboken also go to Secaucus, which allows a transfer to Penn Station in midtown. I'm of the assumption that is going to be the only way to get into Manhattan from those trains for now, although it will be a major inconvenience for the commuters that work in lower Manhattan.

And this is bringing back the nasty feeling I had three years ago when that Metro-North train derailed in the Bronx, because I had taken that same train a month prior. Luckily that was a wake-up call for them and the MTA is in better condition than NJ Transit.