Train Crash at Cold Spring Harbor Station

By Priya Persaud

On June 17th at approximately 3:15 in the afternoon, a LIRR track inspection car came careening around the westbound curve at the Cold Spring Harbor rail station, derailed, and crashed into a New York & Railway freight train that had stopped on the opposite tracks.

According to witnesses, the LIRR train was traveling at a speed of about 40 MPH, and it had derailed when it crashed into the stationary freight train, injuring eight railroad workers.

Five of the injured workers were rushed to Huntington Hospital where they were treated for “non-critical” injuries and released. Three other workers were treated on the scene and declined transport to the hospital.

Federal authorities, from the US Federal Railway Administration, are still investigating the incident.

Officials from both railroad companies - New York & Railway spokesman Don Miller and LIRR President Phillip Eng – declined to comment on the derailing, except to say that it “is still under investigation…”

LIRR service to the Huntington and Port Jefferson lines was disrupted for the remainder of the day, as the derailed LIRR train had to be re-mounted on the tracks, and both trains moved away from the site.