(The Newark Star-Ledger posted the following article on its website on April 20.)
NEWARK, N.J. — For the fifth time in eight months, the wheels of an NJ Transit train came off the tracks yesterday afternoon.
The incident happened at about 1 p.m. at the agency’s rail yard in Bay Head.
No passengers were aboard the train and no one was hurt, officials said.
Officials said the two rear wheels derailed. The agency is investigating the incident and is not sure what caused the problem, which involved one of its diesel-powered multiple-unit cars, officials said.
The four other derailments happened while trains were carrying riders. The worst was an incident in Secaucus last August when about a dozen people were hurt.
About 600 riders had to be evacuated from an NJ Transit train in New Brunswick on Sunday afternoon after crew members noticed a small electrical fire near one of the passenger car’s center doors.
Officials said the crew was able to extinguish the fire and no one was injured. But the passengers were taken off the train at about 2:15 p.m. and transferred to another one about 40 minutes later.
Officials said the investigation was continuing, and they were not sure what caused the blaze.
The train was heading from New York to Trenton and fire was detected at the New Brunswick station, according to NJ Transit.