Sen. Boucher: NTSB Report on Metro North Incidents is Alarming

October 29, 2014

Hartford, CT – State Senator Toni Boucher (R-Wilton) and ranking member of the General Assembly Transportation Committee released the following statement today re: National Transportation Safety Board report of Metro North Rail Line track record.

“My heart goes out to all of those families affected by these incidents. Their loved ones were maimed or killed because Metro North did not do its job. This report is alarming. It is clear the track maintenance program was poorly run, nearly non-existent and pushed aside with no regard for long term consequences.

“The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report into five accidents over a 10 month period along the Metro North rail line shows there is a true lack of oversight on Metro North’s behalf. These incidents could have been avoided.

“Under new management and because of public outcry from concerned commuters Metro North has begun to make improvements and has stated its commitment to enhance safety.

“I would encourage them to continue to work on making these critical changes to their safety and oversight policies. I am also calling on our federal delegation to introduce legislation in Congress that requires an overhaul of rail safety laws. We as a nation should enforce and enhance safety and reliability on this vital rail line.

“Technology like the use of redundant signal protections and positive train control systems can help tremendously in the effort to bring this line up to modern day safety standards.

“Connecticut’s New Haven Line is an extremely important asset to the state and nation. We should all work together to make sure it is taken care of and preserved for future generations of people who will depend on its safety and reliability.”

Timeline of Metro North incidents:

On Friday, May 17, 2013, at 6:01 p.m. Bridgeport – Train derailment – The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the derailment was an undetected broken pair of compromise joint bars resulting from: (1) the lack of a comprehensive track maintenance program that prioritized the inspection findings to schedule proper corrective maintenance; (2)the regulatory exemption for high-density commuter railroads from the requirement to traverse the tracks they inspect; and (3) Metro-North’s decisions to defer scheduled track maintenance.

On May 28, 201, at 11:57 a.m. West Haven – Employee Struck and Killed by train – the NTSB determined that the probable cause of this accident was the student rail traffic controller’s removal (while working without direct supervision) of signal blocking protection for the track segment occupied by the track foreman and the failure of Metro-North to use any redundant feature to prevent this single point failure. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Railroad Administration’s failure to require redundant signal protection, as recommended by Safety Recommendation R-08-6.

On July 18, 2013, at 8:29 p.m. Bronx – train derailment of cars carrying trash – NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was excessive track gage due to a combination of fouled ballast, deteriorated concrete ties, and profile deviations resulting from Metro-North’s decision to defer scheduled track maintenance.

On Sunday, December 1, 2013, at 7:19 a.m. Bronx – train derailment that killed 4 people and injured more than 60 others – NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was the engineer’s noncompliance with the 30-mph speed restriction because he had fallen asleep due to undiagnosed severe obstructive sleep apnea exacerbated by a recent circadian rhythm shift required by his work schedule.

Contributing to the accident was the absence of a Metro-North Railroad policy or a Federal Railroad Administration regulation requiring medical screening for sleep disorders. Also contributing to the accident was the absence of a positive train control system that would have automatically applied the brakes to enforce the speed restriction. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the loss of the window glazing that resulted in the fatal ejection of four passengers from the train.

On March 10, 2014, at12:55 a.m. Manhattan – Employee Struck and Killed by train – the NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was the miscommunication of the limits of on-track protection resulting from incomplete and inaccurate roadway worker job briefings. Contributing to the accident was use of a reference point for on-track protection (the AB Split) that was poorly understood by some of the workers on the track.
For more details about these incidents, visit www.ntsb.gov/investigations