Black Box Showed What, but Not Why, for the New Jersey Transit Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the minute before the Sept. 29 crash, the engineer suddenly accelerated, hurling the train into the wall of Hoboken Terminal, killing one person. They will work to find out why.

2 minute read

October 10, 2016, 10:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


"In the minute before the crash, the train had been moving toward the platform at just eight miles per hour, the National Transportation Safety Board said," reports Emma G. Fitzsimmons, transit correspondent for The New York Times. The event recorder shows that the engineer then accelerated "to about 21 miles per hour...The speed limit for trains entering the busy station is 10 m.p.h."

Investigators have interviewed the train’s engineer, Thomas Gallagher, 48, who told them he did not remember the accident and woke up on the floor of the cab after the train had stopped.

While train safety experts urged for "automatic braking system" in the form of positive train control, Fitzsimmons writes, "Investigators said they did not know whether the technology would have prevented the crash in Hoboken."

One safeguard New Jersey Transit implemented on Oct. 5 for Hoboken and Atlantic City train terminals is to require "a second crew member to join the train engineer in the operating cab," adds Fitzsimmons. "The measure was aimed at providing a second set of eyes and ears during the final segment of trips into those stations."

On Oct. 1, Fitzsimmons reported that the Federal Railroad Administration "began an audit in June of New Jersey Transit...after noticing an increase in safety violations and a leadership vacuum at the top of the agency...After completing the audit, the federal agency issued a series of violations to the railroad, the official said."

A prescient Planetizen post appeared two days before the fatal crash noting that the NJ Transit’s board of directors had not held a public meeting in 109 days.

"Without public meetings, [legislators, transit riders and advocates] say, it’s impossible to know whether the political fight over state transportation funding is hurting NJ Transit’s ability to operate trains and buses safely."

Good news for NJ Transit commuters: The transit agency will "reopen a portion of Hoboken Terminal to commuter rail service for the start of service on Monday, October 10, 2016," according to a service alert.

Thursday, October 6, 2016 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Cobblestone street with vintage street lamps in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets

The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.

May 20 - WJCL

Sign for Loma Alta Park in Altadena, Los Angeles County.

A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena

Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.

May 20 - Pasadena NOw

Colorful historic homes in Madrid, Spain.

Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs

The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.

May 20 - The New York Times

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.