NTSB: Inspection prior to train collision found defects

New reports show that an inspection of the Metro-North Railroad tracks two days before a May 17 train derailment uncovered signs of movement and  inadequate support to the rail joint where the derailment occurred.

Previously, officials at the Federal Railroad Association said no track defects were found during the inspection in statements the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) say were inaccurate.

On June 5, the board, which is investigating the cause of the derailment, announced Metro-North officials had in fact found defects in the track before the crash.

The collision occurred about 6:10 p.m. in Fairfield, when one train heading east along the New Haven line derailed before being sideswiped by a westbound train. The trains were traveling about 70 mph just prior to the crash, which is not unusual for that area, according to officials.

Damage from the crash is estimated at $18 million. In addition to two engineers and a conductor, roughly 73 passengers were injured in the crash. About 250 passengers were on board.

The NTSB plans to continue its investigation of the damaged train cars and tracks of the recent collision. Typically, an investigation takes about a year to complete.