The brakes on the New Jersey Transit train that crashed into the platform at Hoboken Terminal on Sept. 29 show no signs of any defect. That's according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday.
One person on the platform was killed and more than 100 passengers and crew members were injured.
According to the report, the brakes were removed from the wreckage and tested, and they functioned as designed. The NTSB has scheduled additional testing after finding the electronics controlling the train's brakes and propulsion system were destroyed in the crash.
Data from the accident show the train sped up and was going twice the 10-mph speed limit. The agency says it tested the signal and train control system. Both the engineer and conductor were interviewed by NTSB investigators. Investigators inspected the track structure and mechanical equipment involved in the accident.
The train engineer has been working for New Jersey Transit since 1987. He took federal investigators through what happened after he went on duty at 6:46 a.m.
"He said he felt fully rested upon arriving at work. He stated that his cell phone was stored and turned off in his personal backpack; he conducted the required brake tests on the train prior to departure; and that the train operated normally throughout the trip approaching the accident site. He said the cab alerter was operating properly and that there was clear visibility approaching the terminal.
"He arrived on track 5, which was the normal arrival track for the 1614 train at Hoboken. He stated that as the train approached the end of the terminal platform, he blew the horn, checked his speedometer, and starting ringing the bell. He said he looked at his watch and noticed his train was about 6 minutes late arriving at Hoboken. He stated that when he checked the speedometer, he was operating at 10 mph upon entering the terminal track. He said he remembers waking up in the cab laying on the floor after the accident, but has no memory of the accident."
The investigation continues. There's no official cause of the crash yet.
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