Train derails north of New York City; deaths reported

NEW YORK -- A passenger train derailed in New York City early Sunday, and initial reports said there were four deaths and dozens of injuries.

The derailment occurred north of the Spuyten Duyvil station of the Bronx, and it was the third major accident involving the Metro-North Railroad in the last several months. In July, a Metro-North train derailed shortly after departing Grand Central Terminal, and in May two trains collided on a track in Connecticut.

There were no deaths in either of those incidents.

This derailment left seven cars of the train off the tracks and lying on their sides. The train had left Poughkeepsie and was headed to Grand Central Terminal when it went off the tracks about 7:20 a.m. It was due into Grand Central at about 7:40 a.m.

Photographs taken by people at the scene showed train cars lying across the tracks and on their sides at the banks of the river running parallel to the tracks.

The New York Daily News and NY1 quoted unidentified police sources as saying four people were dead and several were injuried. Neither MTA nor the New York Police Department immediately responded Sunday to requests for information on the extent of casualties.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was expected to visit the scene later in the day.

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