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Metro-North Hudson Line Back On Track With 'Scattered Delays'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Metro-North says trains are running with "scattered delays" Monday on the Hudson line, four days after a freight train derailment affected service between New York and Poughkeepsie.

The railroad says all trains are running with scattered delays of up to 15 minutes until 10 p.m. After 10 p.m., bus service will connect commuters to shuttle train service.

LINKSMetro-North | Traffic & Transit

The freight train was hauling compacted garbage when it derailed in the vicinity of the Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx last Thursday night. Ten of the train's 24 cars derailed and needed to be removed one by one by crane.

Metro-North Hudson Line Getting Back On Track

The damage was so substantial, that only one of two tracks in the area is back in service on Monday. Work will continue on rebuilding the other track before it can be returned to passenger service.

"It's by far the worst derailment I've ever seen on Metro-North's history," said Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders.

Anders said the derailment happened in the worst possible location because the track is wedged between a rocky cliff and the river.

"It looks like a snow plow went through the track and just piled up all the rock and ties," she said. "It's a major mess."

While the cause of the derailment is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer believes the extreme weather could have something to do with it.

"In the recent heat wave, we've had a whole series of derailments and equipment failures," he said.

There have also been at least three breakdowns in the past month and slowdowns have affected Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North.

In May, a Metro-North train derailed in Connecticut, injuring 60 people.

Schumer said federal investigators should be put in place to protect the systems from heat-related glitches.

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