The Metro-North train that derailed on Sunday morning was traveling 42 miles per hour above the speed limit when it jumped the tracks at a curve near the Bronx's Spuyten Duyvil station, National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener announced in a press hearing.

According to the NTSB's analysis of two "black box" event recorders located on the damaged passenger train, the locomotive was going 82 mph when the speed limit is 30 mph, and reduced its velocity to idle only six seconds before it came to a stop. Metro-North regulations state trains may travel up to 75 mph when nearing the curve.

A third-party claims adjuster with more than 40 years of experience in the railroad industry told PC360 yesterday that insurance fallout from a derailment may involve excess liability, wrongful death, property damage and rolling stock damage claims against the railroad company. Most railroads are self-insured for this kind of coverage, he said, and a Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) spokeswoman confirms the company is self-insured up to $25 million.