The commuter train involved in last week's deadly crash in the US state of New Jersey sped up less than a minute before the accident, reaching twice the speed limit, investigators said Thursday, according to dpa. The National Transportation Safety Board said that the train's speed increased from 13 kilometres per hour to 34 kilometres per hour just 38 seconds before the crash, according to information gathered from two data recorders. The speed limit is about 16 kilometres per hour when trains enter the station and is further reduced to about 8 kilometres per hour along the platforms. The train's emergency brakes were applied just one second before the crash, in which one person died and 108 were injured. Earlier, the 48-year-old train driver had told investigators that he sounded his horn and was travelling at a normal speed when he entered the station, but that his next memory was of regaining consciousness on the floor of the train's engine car following the accident. Due to considerable roof damage it is unknown when the historic Hoboken train station will be re-opened. Approximately 50,000 people pass through it each day, mainly commuting to the New York City borough of Manhattan.
