Full Service To Resume On Metro-North Harlem Line Thursday Morning
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Full service will resume on the Harlem Line of the Metro-North Railroad Thursday morning, for the first time since an accident with a sport-utility vehicle set a train car on fire and left six people dead.
The first train to operate over the Commerce Street crossing where the accident happened will be the 4:26 a.m. departure from Southeast, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. The train will arrive at Grand Central Terminal at 5:30 a.m.
Cuomo warned that Metro-North customers should expect delays Thursday morning, as there is still an active work zone at the site of the accident in Valhalla.
"The (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) is working non-stop through the night to rebuild the damaged section of track and restore service in time for the morning commute. I want to thank everyone for their tireless efforts in the wake of this devastating accident," Cuomo said in a news release. "My thoughts and prayers remain with the family and friends of the victims of Tuesday night's tragedy during this painful time."
Since the accident around 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, Harlem Line service had been shut down between Pleasantville and North White Plains.
Metro-North trains had been operating from Wassaic to Southeast, where customers were able to board a bus to Beacon on the Hudson Line.
EXTRA: More On Harlem Line Service Changes | Photos
The wreckage from the crash was removed from the tracks around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The damaged train was hauled to the Metro-North yard in North White Plains.
Workers from the Metro-North Power, Track and Signal departments, then began rebuilding some 500 feet of electrified third rail. The third rail broke apart and pierced the floor of the train car during the accident.
Commerce Street will remain closed to vehicular traffic until the National Transportation Safety Board completes an investigation – likely mid-afternoon Thursday.
Six people, including five train passengers, were killed when a crowded Metro-North train slammed into a sport utility vehicle on the tracks in Valhalla and burst into flames Tuesday evening, authorities said.
Passengers affected by the service changes reacted to the fatal crash Wednesday morning.
"Frightening," one commuter said. "I was on a later train last night behind that accident."
"I usually ride in the front car," said Yorktown Heights resident Ken O'Connell. "I won't be doing so anymore, that's for sure."
"Things happen, and you can't change your life for things that happen every day," said commuter Kerry Liebowitz. "So no, I didn't second-guess (riding the train) at all. No issues. Get back on the track, and if it's in a higher power, it's another higher power's hands."
"This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that happened, and, you know, I feel sorry for the people that were involved in it. They were unlucky, and that's what it is, just unlucky," commuter Stuart Frazier.
As CBS2's Weijia Jiang reported, psychiatrists say that it's no surprise that commuters are traumatized, and some may even experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder like having a panic attack or avoiding the train altogether.
Before a ride, doctors recommend talking about concerns with friends and family, doing breathing exercises, and meditating.
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