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U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy were joined by U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch at the Metro-North station in downtown Bridgeport on Tuesday afternoon. They took turns berating Metro-North’s safety record and demanding immediate improvements.
“As evidenced by these reports, the Federal Railroad Administration’s failure to create and implement safety protocols and regulations is a key reason these accidents happened,” said Murphy. “It needs to take the lead and require railways to adhere to stricter safety policies now instead of waiting for another accident to happen. Metro-North’s new leadership has started to adopt a culture of safety, and it has made strides, but it’s clear more needs to be done.”
The report released Tuesday by the NTSB addressed five tragic incidents that have taken place on Metro-North since May 2013: the Bridgeport train derailment, the death of a West Haven train rail yard worker, a July 2013 freight train derailment, the Bronx train derailment and the death of a Harlem rail yard worker.
The Bridgeport derailment occurred May 17, 2013, injuring more than 70 people. The NTSB report blamed the derailment on a broken joint holding two pieces of track together.
“The safety lapses that occurred are unacceptable,” said Finch. “Safety improvements have to be made now, and they have to be permanent.”
Blumenthal has been a vocal critic of the railroad in Congress. He continued his criticism at the press conference, saying, “This report shows in new depth and detail a railroad in disarray, equipment in disrepair and a safety agency in a sleep-like daze. Inspections were missed, and warning signs were disregarded again and again and again.
"The report is a powerful indictment of the FRA’s lack of oversight and the safety failures at MTA and Metro-North.”
Himes added, “As one of the busiest commuter train lines in the country, this is critical to ensuring people's safety and the strength of our region’s economy. The NTSB report highlights the culture of lax enforcement at Metro-North that led to delays in needed repairs and incomplete track inspections.”
Blumenthal and Murphy appeared earlier Tuesday in a press conference at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, pushing for same reforms with U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York.
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