A collision between a transit train and a maintenance train injured nearly 30 people east of New York City Saturday night, as a Long Island Rail Road train derailed near New Hyde Park. Hundreds of passengers were aboard the LIRR train when the collision occurred around 9:10 p.m. ET.
"The silver lining is, we're fortunate that more people weren't seriously hurt," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during an early-morning visit to the scene Sunday. He added, "The damage to the train cars is extensive."
Some 600 people were riding the train when it derailed. Describing the injuries, local TV news ABC 7 reports, "33 people were hurt in the accident, including 7 employees and 26 passengers."
The LIRR train had been traveling east when it sideswiped a work train that was heading in the same direction. According to multiple local reports, at least two passenger cars derailed.
As of Sunday morning, the LIRR's Oyster Bay branch remained shut down as crews tried to clear the tracks and determine what caused the derailment.
The focus now, Cuomo said, is to prepare the tracks for the coming week's commutes.
News of the crash comes 10 days after a New Jersey Transit train crashed into the platform during the morning rush hour at the station in Hoboken, N.J.
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