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The collision happened on tracks parallel to Riverside Drive around 7:15 a.m. on March 2, officials have said. All three were Norfolk Southern trains.
Investigators now say NS intermodal train 24XH101 was stopped on the tracks due to traffic when it was struck by train 268H429. Both trains were eastbound.
As a result, train 268H429 derailed three railcars onto the adjacent westbound tracks, NTSB said.
Minutes later, the westbound train 19GH501 struck the derailed equipment and itself derailed six railcars and two locomotives, according to investigators.
Three of the derailed cars contained hazardous materials, including ethanol residue and butane residue, but those cars "did not breach or release" their contents, officials said.
The two derailed locomotives ended up partially submerged in the Lehigh River and leaked diesel fuel into the water, they added.
Norfolk Southern estimated about $2.5 million in damages, according to the NTSB.
The investigation is ongoing and regulators say they will focus on Norfolk Southern's "rules, procedures, and crew training related to train handling" moving forward.
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