Amtrak: Weakened wooden railroad tie caused derailment

NEW YORK – Amtrak’s CEO says that a train derailment in New York that has caused major delays for commuters at the nation’s busiest rail hub was caused when a track split after the train went over a weakened wooden railroad tie.

Speaking Thursday, Wick Moorman says that full service will be restored at New York’s Penn Station by Friday morning. He says workers are finishing repairs that followed two derailments within two weeks.

Moorman says that the condition of the ties was noted during a previous inspection, but it was determined that it wasn’t in danger of imminent failure.

Moorman says an Amtrak train derailed at Penn Station in March because the track was misaligned.

Rail service has been cut back since Monday morning’s derailment took out eight of 21 tracks maintained by Amtrak.