‘Unusual Condition’ Seen Before Connecticut Train Wreck

The engineer of the commuter train that derailed last week in Connecticut observed an “unusual condition” on the track before the wreck, federal officials said Friday without explaining what the condition was, though they did say repair work was done last month in the area of the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board has previously ruled out foul play but it has not yet determined a cause of the May 17 crash that injured more than 70 people and disrupted service for days on the railroad used by tens of thousands of commuters north of New York City.

But the NTSB did say Friday that a joint bar, used to hold two sections of rail together, had been cracked and repaired last month and that rail sections in the area of the derailment have been shipped to Washington for further examination. Adam Lisberg, an Metropolitan Transit Authority spokesman, said the joint bar was replaced.

Metro-North railroad is conducting an inspection and inventory of all the joint bars on its main tracks, NTSB said.

The eastbound train from New York City derailed during evening rush hour in Bridgeport, came to a stop and was struck about 20 seconds later by a westbound train, NTSB said. The westbound engineer applied the emergency brakes before striking the eastbound train, NTSB said.

The eastbound engineer told investigators he saw an unusual condition on the track as he approached the area, NTSB said.

It’s not clear what caused the crash but repair work done in the area weeks before it may have weakened the track, George Cahill, an attorney representing six Metro-North workers injured in the crash, said this week. He also expressed concern that wheels on the new trains were too tight.

NTSB said it has completed the on-scene phase of the investigation and will now analyze the information gathered. Investigators have collected photos, video and other evidence, completed mechanical inspections of the rail cars, the track and signal system, interviewed employees, witnesses and first responders and documented the accident site, NTSB said.

Attorneys for a 65-year-old woman injured in the crash said they have filed a lawsuit alleging negligence by Metro-North.

Attorney Joel Faxon said the suit was filed Friday in federal court in Bridgeport to gain access to witnesses and allow victims and their families to be involved in the investigation. He said it was the first federal lawsuit stemming from crash.

He said his client, Elizabeth Sorensen of Bridgeport, remains in critical condition with a brain injury and multiple bone fractures.

A Metro-North spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.