Derailed Trains (metro, suburbs, subway, major)

[Chava61]

This morning there was a major derailment of a NYC subway express train which had 1000 passengers on it. This stopped/delayed service of 4 different subway lines and at this time the service still hasn't been completely restored as they will only remove the derailed train tonight after 10PM (when subway service in that area will be suspended). So for those of you that live in an area that relies on mass transit rail service, how often do these derailments occur, how do commuters get around instead and how soon is everything back up and running?

[citylove101]

Train derailments happen, but are still very rare here, especially considering the millions of passengers every day and the size of the NYC subway system. People who live here rarely consider that it will happen. Derailments do also happen on the commuter lines. (One recently on a MetroNorth line killed four people when the driver nodded off at high speed.) Subway derailments and accidents are usually repaired within a few days, but it can take longer for the commuter lines. Inside the city itself there is usually an alternate route, such as a nearby bus route or another subway line. For commuters it can be more problematic, but they do run shuttle buses along some MetroNorth routes when this happens. And in the New Jersey suburbs, the buses honor train tickets when a commuter line is out of service.

Here's a list of some recent subway accidents incidents.

www.nycsubway.org: Subway FAQ: Accidents

[nybbler]

The major single point of failure for transit isn't derailments or equipment damage; it's strikes.