State of emergency declared for New York's subway as Governor pledges $1 billion

The Governor of New York has declared a state of emergency for the ageing, frequently failing subway system in New York City.

Speaking two days after a derailment injured at least 34 people, Andrew Cuomo said he was planning to sign an order to speed up efforts to improve the system and that the “current state of decline is wholly unacceptable”.

“One of the processes we’re going to expedite is the MTA procurement process. I’ll ask the comptroller and the attorney general for a special team to expedite the process,” he said, referring to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that oversees the city’s vast subway system. “But it will no longer be a tortured exercise to do business with the MTA.”

While he said issues with the transit system have been going on for years, Mr Cuomo said its “current state of decline is wholly unacceptable”.

““The delays are maddening New Yorkers,” he said.

“We need ideas outside the box because, frankly, the box is broken.”

New York’s system was opened in 1904 and is one of the world’s oldest public transit systems.

It has a total of 468 stations, runs non-stop and every day around there are somewhere around 5,655,755 journeys on its 230 miles of track. Yet this old and much-used the system has long struggled for sufficient funding.

Those who use it frequently complain about stoppages, cancellations and the dirty conditions of the trains and stations.

Mr Cuomo said he had ordered Joseph Lhota, the new chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the subway, to provide a reorganisation plan for the agency within 30 days, to “design an organisation that performs a function”.

The New York Times said that Mr Lhota must also review the agency’s capital plan within 60 days. Mr Cuomo pledged to direct an addition $1bn for capital improvements.

Mr Cuomo likened the recent transit problems to a “heart attack” that happened after years of cholesterol buildup. Two days ago, around three dozen people were injured when an A train derailed at 125th St.

Officials said it appeared to have been caused by an improperly stored piece of rail and two track maintenance supervisors have now suspended without pay.

Reports said that one passenger who had been on the train, has said she is planning to sue the MTA $5m, saying the authority has been “careless, reckless and negligent” in overseeing the subway.