New York, NY – After a recent Metro-North train derailment in the Bronx killed at least four passengers and injured more than 60 others, according to the MTA, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today pressed Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo for a swift and comprehensive safety evaluation of the MTA’s commuter rail system in order to ensure that a similar tragedy does not happen again and steps taken by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve commuter rail safety. The derailment is the fifth of an MTA train since March, and the sixth Metro-North train derailment in the New York metro area over the past two years.
Yesterday, Senator Gillibrand personally spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Deborah Hersman on the need for clear answers and improved commuter rail safety, pointing out the troubling rate of derailments in the New York metro area, particularly a July freight train derailment near the same turn as Sunday’s crash.
Senator Gillibrand wrote in a letter to FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo, “I am writing with deep concern over the recent derailment of a Metro-North commuter train in the Bronx, and for the safety of New Yorkers and others who use the Metro-North railroad every day. Yesterday’s accident is the latest in a long list of accidents on MTA’s system, and comes on the heels of a freight train derailment near the same turn in July… This is simply unacceptable… I renew my call for an immediate comprehensive safety evaluation of the MTA system and procedures to ensure that we do not experience a similar tragedy in the future. Additionally, I request that you provide my office with an overview of any steps that have been taken by the FRA to address MTA commuter rail safety.”
“Given the alarming rate of derailments in the New York Metro Area, including yesterday’s tragedy, we must get the answers and accountability New Yorkers deserve,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I will continue to press the federal agencies involved to expeditiously and thoroughly target the cause of this tragedy and address systemic problems to prevent these incidents from happening in the future.”
This past June, following the derailment of a Long Island Railroad train, Senator Gillibrand requested that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) work with federal agencies to launch a system-wide review of the MTA’s commuter rail lines to identify safety hazards.
Full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter is below:
Dear Administrator Szabo:
I am writing with deep concern over the recent derailment of a Metro-North commuter train in the Bronx, and for the safety of New Yorkers and others who use the Metro-North railroad every day. Yesterday’s accident is the latest in a long list of accidents on MTA’s system, and comes on the heels of a freight train derailment near the same turn in July. In this past year, the Long Island Railroad and the Metro-North line in Bridgeport, Connecticut have also experienced derailments. This is simply unacceptable.
While we do not yet have answers for what caused this tragic and fatal accident, it is clear that additional steps are needed to ensure the safety of commuter railroads. This past June, following the derailment of a Long Island Railroad train, I wrote to you requesting that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) work with other appropriate Federal agencies to perform a system-wide review of the MTA’s commuter rail lines to identify where safety risks exist. Given the magnitude of yesterday’s tragedy, I renew my call for an immediate comprehensive safety evaluation of the MTA system and procedures to ensure that we do not experience a similar tragedy in the future. Additionally, I request that you provide my office with an overview of any steps that have been taken by the FRA to address MTA commuter rail safety.
Protecting public safety should be the highest priority of the Federal government, and this and previous MTA accidents have raised serious questions about the level of safety for commuters in the New York region. While the vast majority of commuter trains are safe and operate without any major incidents, it is also clear that significant safety hazards exist, whether they are based on track or other infrastructure problems or operational error, and must be addressed through strong Federal oversight and accountability.
I strongly urge you to take immediate steps to work with the MTA, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other appropriate agencies and stakeholder groups to improve commuter rail safety for New York and the surrounding region.