Federal Railroad Administration issues order for Metro-North to change crew protocol

[hrmjustin]

Eyewitness News
NEW YORK (WABC) -- he U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today issued an Emergency Order to Metro-North Commuter Railroad to take specific, immediate steps to ensure its train crews do not exceed speed limitations.

The emergency order requires Metro-North to modify its existing signal system to ensure speed limits are obeyed and to provide two qualified railroad employees to operate trains where major speed restrictions are in place until the signal system is updated.

"Safety is our highest priority, and we must do everything we can to learn from this tragic crash and help prevent future derailments," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "While we assist the National Transportation Safety Board in carrying out its investigation, this Emergency Order will help ensure that other Metro-North trains travel at appropriate, safe speeds."

Four people were killed on Sunday after a Metro-North train derailed in the Bronx.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=resources/traffic&id=9351549

[PoliticAverse]

1. "Could a safety device have prevented the derailment?"

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=resources/traffic&id=9347422

[hrmjustin]

2. The experts I heard on this said yes.

[Historic NY]

3. Perhaps...

but having a second crewmember in the cab should have been standard procedure...they have one or two conductors and not much else now.

[Niceguy1]

4. a computer can do it better than human as far as the second person goes

A simple processor with GPS could have prevented this

[BeyondGeography]

5. Anything to avoid this again

Jim Lovell's sons at his funeral today

[hrmjustin]

6. Heartbreaking!