In 2023, an estimated 1 billion New Yorkers rode the subway. Over 200 of those people were injured by an MTA train annually. Only one month into 2024, there have been two train derailments, along with two people getting hit by a train ending in fatalities. Every decade NYC goes into a national emergency with its subway system. NYC hasn’t seen this many train derailments occur this often since 2017. This discovery has revealed the neglected train maintenance that needs to be done for subway safety.
On January 4th, 2024, two trains collided. Before the derailment, an unstable passenger on a Northbound 1 train pulled the emergency brakes. Both the train operator and rail car inspector were unable to reset the emergency brakes. They were able to eventually move the train to the nearest station, to let the passengers off. While in the station, the rail car inspector was able to cut out the first five cars' brakes to move the cars to a railroad yard for repairs. Because the conductor could not operate from the front of the train, they were forced to operate from the middle car. While a second operator stayed in the front of the train to guide the conductor who could see the signals from ahead, they stayed in communication using a radio. Unfortunately, they lost connection on the radio from being underground and the conductor was unable to receive any instructions of a red stop signal, so he had no clue to stop the train. At the same time, another Northbound 1 train was given the signal to continue and switch tracks from express to local. Both trains were going very slowly and the Northbound 1 train, which had the green light, was carrying 200 passengers and from that train, the first five cars derailed. In total, 22 passengers were injured along with three crew members with minor injuries. This incident has made people question whether the conductors were even using radio communication at all
It is not unusual for a subway to operate from the middle car. However, it is unknown to the general public that this happens 10-12 times in a week.
A second derailment occurred six days later, on January 10th, 2024. A Manhattan-bound F train went off the elevated tracks (tracks above street level) between West 8th Street and Neptune Avenue station in Coney Island. There were only 34 passengers and three crew members on the train at the time and no one suffered injuries. They are still unsure of what caused the derailment. Right now all they can blame is human error.
As a reaction to both of these events, investigators with the M.T.A. and the National Transportation Safety Board have started an investigation into the safety of the New York City Transit system. Something that is often discussed when an incident on the subway occurs is NYC’s insufficient funds for the city. The New York City Transit system gets an annual estimated $19.2 billion from multiple sources like taxes, toll revenue, etc. Pre-Covid, half of that revenue came from the fare of $2.75 that every rider is supposed to pay. This fare goes up every decade or so due to inflation. In 2022, fare evaders cost the MTA $690 million. In 2021 it went up by 38%. A major contribution to fair invaders is social media platforms where you will see famous influencers jump the turnstiles or show you creative ways to avoid the fair. This makes it look like a cool and socially acceptable thing to do. When people avoid the train fare, this affects the amount of money the MTA makes yearly. Because of the decrease in the number of people who pay the fare, this leads, leads to less upkeep and more concerning incidents.
The majority of the students at Bay Ridge Prep take the train to school including teachers. People who live in New York City should be aware of what's going on around them and the safety of the trains. Generally, most people have no clue about train accidents. So, next time a train is delayed, try looking into why it is late. You never know if it could be interesting or if it could be lifesaving.
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