Metro-North Train Derails Shortly After Leaving Grand Central Terminal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Metro-North train on the Hudson Line derailed Monday evening, causing delays and disrupting normal service.
The incident -- described as minor -- happened around 6 p.m. shortly after the train left Grand Central Terminal, headed for Croton-Harmon.
The train was bringing roughly 500 people home to Westchester County when, just minutes into the trip, something happened.
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"The first two cars appeared to tilt to the left, and then sparks erupted," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
The six-car train had derailed, and was stopped in its tracks.
"You feel it when it derails, because it's a jolt," rider Jeannie Bertelli of Tarrytown told CBS 2's Sean Hennessey.
The jolt also knocked out power, killing the air conditioning on one of the year's hottest days.
Eugene Stein said he and fellow passengers were stuck underground for about 90 minutes, but that the mood stayed surprisingly positive.
"It was actually pretty good," he said. "People were hot. People were getting hotter. You know, 'why can't they get us out of here' type conversation."
Rachel Lamagna was one of the first passengers to be taken off because she's pregnant.
"I think there were some other people that were really feeling some dehydration," Lamagna said. "It was very, very hot, just steamy hot."
According to FDNY Chief James Esposito, there were three pregnant women on the train who complained of heat exhaustion, but refused medical attention.
"It was very hot, but we had fire, we had PD, we had MTA folks down on the tracks, and we worked together," Esposito told 1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon. "We were in contact with the passengers and relieved any type of panic situation from occurring."
Passengers aboard the first two cars, which were leaning toward one side, were evacuated first.
"We had to climb down a ladder onto the side of the track, which was very freaky," Bertelli said.
The remaining passengers were aboard cars that were level, which enabled rescuers to bring up a second train alongside the crippled one. Passengers walked across a ramp to the second train, which brought them back to Grand Central.
"It was very hot in there," Emergency Response Unit Detective Sean Mulcahy said. "Everybody was, you know, anxious to get out of there."
Authorities said there were no injuries in the incident.
No word on what caused the train to derail.
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