NEW YORK (AP) — A subway train derailment in New York City that injured nearly three dozen people and sparked major delays is being blamed on human error, not a track defect.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials say a preliminary investigation indicates the Tuesday morning derailment in Harlem was caused by "an improperly secured piece of replacement rail" that was stored on the tracks during rail repairs.
The derailment tossed people to the floor and forced hundreds of passengers to evacuate through darkened tunnels.
Officials say crews are inspecting "every inch of rail" to ensure that every replacement part "is properly stored and secured."
The derailment came after a winter and spring marked by mechanical failures, power outages and several episodes in which passengers were trapped on stuck trains for an hour or more.