There were 449 passengers aboard an N train that derailed at 4:23 pm Sunday, about 100 feet north of the 57th Street and Seventh Avenue station. The derailment fouled up the N and R service to and from Queens, and left a question mark about morning service, although transit officials said they expected things to return to normal by rush hour.
Two passengers suffered minor injuries and were treated and released, the Fire Department said.
According to NYC Transit, two cars from the southbound train came off the tracks. Each car had just one wheel slip, a transit spokesman said.
Passengers were put onto an R train that pulled up behind it. A transit official said they were able to walk onto the "rescue train" without climbing down to the tracks.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, but a track worker at the scene last night was blaming the rail, not the train.
Derailments are rare. The last derailment was a work train on the D line that went off the tracks. Prior to that the last derailment was in March 2006.
The problem slowed the ride home for a lot of people. According to the MTA's website, at 8:45 pm:
—Bay Ridge-bound R trains are running on the F line between the 36th Street Station in Queens and the 34th Street- Herald Square Station.
—There is no N train service between the Queensboro Plaza Station and the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station in both directions.
—Shuttle trains are being provided between the Queensboro Plaza Station and the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station.
—Please expect delays in service on the N and R trains at this time
