Metro-North issues safety progress report

In response to a request by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy,  Metro-North officials released a report Tuesday detailing actions the railroad has taken since experiencing several incidents, including two derailments injuring more than 100 people.

The report lists several new track maintenance procedures, protocols for employees and train dispatching, and speed enforcement practices.

In response to the May derailment outside of Bridgeport – caused by a faulty joint repair – inspectors have reviewed repair procedures, employee training and increased quality assurance standards. To enhance defect identification,  officials plan to invest $10 million in specialized track inspection equipment in 2014. Additional management positions have been hired within the track department and all vacancies for retiring employees should be filled by June 2014.

Since the Con Edison feeder power outage in September, railroad officials have also taken steps to increase redundancy in the New Haven Line’s power supply, in case of a similar outage in the future. Two new substations will be connected in the beginning of 2014, located in Greenwich and New Haven.

Finally, after the Bronx derailment earlier this month – where a speeding train derailed off a sharp curve - new speed control technologies and employee protocols have been instituted. The curve where the Hudson Line train derailed now has automatic speed reduction controls in place and similar signal protections will be installed at four other critical curves and five movable bridges by September. To ensure engineers are alert, conductors will also stand with engineers at critical curves to confirm proper speeds, and a close-call reporting system will be implemented.

“I want to thank the MTA and Metro-North Railroad for their response to our request,” Malloy said in a release. “Our mutual goal is the same ”“ a ”˜best in class”™ railroad with a commitment to a culture of safety – and I believe we are making strides toward that goal.”