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MTA Removes Derailed Cars, Hopes To Restore Full Service By Morning Rush

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Crews on Sunday morning removed the remaining cars from a subway train that derailed Friday and, with an eye on having full service restored by Monday morning, were working to rebuild the damaged tracks and third rail.

Local service has resumed on the Queens Boulevard lines, and there is "every expectation we will have full normal service running on Monday morning," MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said. There was no structural damage to any of the columns that hold up the subway system, he told WCBS 880.

There were eight cars removed from the track between the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue station and Queens Plaza -- four Saturday and four Sunday.

Officials say that part of the rail broke when the train was traveling over it Friday morning.

Nineteen people were hurt when the train jumped the tracks in Woodside, leading to a massive underground evacuation.

MTA officials have ruled out the age of the tracks as a possible contributing factor to the accident, CBS 2's Janelle Burrell reported.

"There are many parts of the subway system that are old, but this rail was installed in March," Lisberg told Burrell..

Investigators also believe the operator's speed did not play a role.

"From every report that I've heard, they were absolutely professional," Lisberg said. "They did their jobs well."

Agency officials have sought to reassure concerned riders that they are safe on subway trains.

"One derailment is too many," Lisberg said. "Our goal is zero, but I don't think there's any grounds for fear of widespread problems in the system."

That broken part of the track has been sent away for testing.

The LIRR is cross honoring valid Metro Cards.

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