A recent federal hearing in Washington, D.C. shed light on Metro-North”™s alleged poor rail maintenance procedures and repair work.
Since two rail accidents in May, Metro North officials have implemented several steps to improve its infrastructure and safety. However, at the hearing officials said the company had fallen behind on maintenance schedules, perhaps leading to faulty repairs at the site of the recent train derailment, according to advance reports. The official report was due out after press time.
On May 17, two trains carrying a total of roughly 500 passengers collided in Fairfield after one derailed near a loose rail joint. Six weeks before, inspectors had allegedly discovered broken joint bars at the location and repaired them. But two days before the derailment, inspectors had seen the bars were cracked and are said to have labeled it a low-priority repair.
About 51 people were injured in the crash. Previous reports estimated upwards of 75 sought medical treatment.
The Business Journal was unable to obtain access to a recording of the NTSB hearing by press time; however reports from CT Mirror say Robert Puciloski, Metro-North”™s chief engineer, said the repair report for the cracked joints mentioned a “pumping condition” but took no measurements and didn”™t identify the condition.
“They should be measuring and identifying what the condition is,” Puciloski reportedly said. “I can”™t explain why they have not done that.”
During the Nov. 6 and Nov. 7 hearings, NTSB officials questioned Metro-North and Department of Transportation officials about inspection and maintenance procedures, operation measures to protect on-track work zones and how the culture of safety surrounding rail could be improved. The hearing also discussed the details surrounding the death of a foreman May 28, working on the tracks in West Haven.
The board estimates it will issue a final report a year from the date of the accidents, detailing the causes and recommendations to prevent future accidents.
Following the hearing, U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy told members of the press a larger investment in the state”™s infrastructure was needed to strengthen the rail and prevent faulty repairs.
“The collision and derailment were directly the result of defective repairs,” said Blumenthal, who attended part of the hearing. “Clearly there has to be improvement in the kind of work done there.”
Blumenthal called for the NTSB to issue its final report immediately and said he hoped the hearing would give momentum for a renewed call for investment. He also said it”™s Congress”™s responsibility to come up with the money to make sure the resources are in place to make improvements.
“We need to be more demanding not only in better inspections, repairs and maintenance, but upgrading tracks and infrastructure so they”™re not using equipment from last century to enable riders in this century,” he said.
Echoing Blumenthal, Murphy said the silver lining to come out of the hearing will be an increase in safety standards not only in Connecticut but across the country, especially when it comes to rail cars.
There has been some disappointment voiced regarding the destruction of rear corner posts in the train cars seen after the collision. But many have praised the cars”™ new safety features, which may have limited the damage done.
“It”™s important to note that Metro-North was a safe railroad before this crash and will be even safer after this hearing,” Murphy said. “There”™s going to be substantial repair work up and down this line every day over the course of the next decade. We need to have airtight safety protocols.”
