Subway derailment has been an ongoing problem, especially recently. On January 10th, 2024, the New York City subway derailed around 12:30 PM. There were 37 passengers on board at this time. They reported a jolt-like sensation, almost as if someone had pushed them. Passengers described the experience as extremely scary and very frustrating. These passengers said they no longer felt safe using the subway systems due to what had occurred. Emergency responders arrived quickly, evacuating all passengers and crew safely. People who had witnessed this event watched in disbelief. If people had been standing or the train had been crowded, this occurrence would’ve posed many more serious consequences.
Less than a week later, the city had a second derailment. This train was now carrying around 300 passengers. About 25 of these were left with minor injuries. Investigators are currently actively looking further into this second incident. However, a larger impact remains at hand. Commuters remain uneasy since these accidents. Many rely on the subways to arrive to work and now feel unsafe taking these trains, posing a large issue for transportation in New York City.
Reporters speculate that the cause for the derailment could’ve been a bad wheel on a car or something misplaced in the tracks. Many of the collisions and derailments have no emergency equipment failure signs. These derailments are believed to be caused by human involvement, as there are no signs of technological issues. These minor injuries raise questions of, “What if there were larger injuries?” or “What if someone died in these derailments?”
Commuters are in desperate need of a route of transportation that makes them feel secure right now. N.J. Burkett interviewed the first derailment train conductor, Andy Valentine. Valentine says, “I never felt more helpless in my life, to be honest with you…I felt like I was a spectator about to watch myself be killed.” This is a serious threat to the safety of the 3.2 million who rely on the subway daily and needs to be addressed immediately. A common method of transportation should not make people feel this way. At this rate, the subway industry will be severely hurt by this panicked population. If others start completely abandoning the use of subways, this can also lead to other future problems. For instance, there will be increased pollution if people use their cars over the subway. Therefore, subway derailments will cause numerous issues if they are not fixed immediately.