David A. Lieb And Joan Lowy
FILE - In this April 3, 2017 file photo, waiting commuters and passengers in New York's Penn Station look up to a train schedule board after delays were created when a train derailed earlier in the day. New Jersey Transit said one of its trains derailed while pulling into the station at a slow speed. The derailment comes a week and a half after an Amtrak train partially derailed as it pulled out of Penn Station. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
April 09, 2017 - 5:04 AM
A seemingly minor derailment in New York that ended up delaying hundreds of thousands of commuters for days is the latest example of how easily the nation's transportation system can be thrown into disarray.
It highlights how the aging, congested system is so vital that when things go wrong, big and costly disruptions can result. And there is no quick fix.
Although President Donald Trump has promised a $1 trillion infrastructure-rebuilding program, not all of that may go toward transportation.
Even then, it would fall well short of the many trillions needed to fix the country's web of roads, bridges, railways, subways and bus stations.
Lawyer Dominic Boone says the derailment caused him to miss 10 hours of work for which he could have billed clients. He says problems at the station should have been addressed "forever ago."
News from © The Associated Press, 2017