Amtrak officials have ruled out a problem with train tracks as the cause of a "slow speed" NJ Transit train derailment near Penn Station New York on Thursday. But federal officials will now join the probe of the derailment wreaked havoc on the Thursday evening and Friday morning commutes.

"We are still investigating, but have ruled out any issue with the infrastructure and are working with NJ Transit to investigate other potential causes," said Jason Abrams, an Amtrak spokesman. "The incident occurred near A Interlocking, which we have performed renewal work on recently."

"A Interlocking" is a maze of track switches that brings the many trains from the station down to two tracks leading into an out of the Hudson River tunnels. It also was where Amtrak officials did extensive track work in Summer 2017 after several spring derailments blamed on track conditions.

The derailment of the 6:11 p.m. Montclair-Boonton Line train did not injure any of the people aboard, but the incident plunged a busy evening rush hour into commuting chaos, the ripple effects of which were still felt Friday morning.

"The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating yesterday evening's NJT derailment," said Warren Flateau, an FRA spokesman. He did not specify if the investigation was focusing on the train or the track.



NJ Transit officials said they are investigating if an issue with the train may have been a factor.

"While the exact cause of yesterday's derailment remains under investigation, NJ Transit is looking into the possibility that an equipment issue with the train may have been a contributing factor in this incident," said Nancy Snyder, a spokeswoman. "Our crews will be thoroughly examining the car and working with the FRA to come to a final conclusion, which we can use to prevent similar type incidents from occurring in the future."

Gov. Phil Murphy lobbed some criticism at the characterization of the incident as minor.

"If I were on that train, it wouldn't be minor to me, so if people are upset I wouldn't blame them," he said at a press conference. "Safety is our first responsibility in delivering on-time, acceptable service..the incident violates all of the above."

He added that the long awaited audit of NJ Transit that he ordered is tentatively scheduled to be unveiled at 11 a.m., Tuesday in Metuchen.

The train was crossing over track switches, going to the Hudson River Tunnel when it derailed, said Patrick Errico, a passenger on the that Montclair-Boonton line train. The front single level car of the train derailed, he said.

"What I found weird was that when we came down (to the train). .. there was a woman standing there telling us we could not sit in that car," he said. "And then that car derails."

@njtransit I think my 6:11 Montclair train just jumped off the track..... Quite a few big smashes up and down and now we are stopped — patrick errico (@ErricoPatrick) October 4, 2018

The rail car that derailed has been put back on the rails and was being removed, said Jim Smith, an NJ Transit spokesman. The derailment should not affect the evening commute, he said.

This was the first derailment in Penn Station since an August 23, 2017 and a rash of derailments that spring leading to Amtrak's summer-long project to replace tracks and switches in the complicated complex.

On April 3, 2017 an NJ Transit train derailed, damaging tracks that required a reduction in service for almost a week for repairs. Amtrak officials blamed the condition of a wooden tie, which allowed the rails to spread under the weight of the train. That lead to the summer track program that displaced 25 percent of NJ Transit's New York trains to Hoboken Terminal.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

