Letter to Mr. Joseph Giulietti, President of Metro-North Rail - Metro-North Train Derailment

Letter

Dear Mr. Giulietti:

Last week, a Metro-North train travelling near Rye just outside Connecticut jumped off the rails. The train was reportedly travelling at five times the speed on that section of track -- around 50 miles per hour in a ten-mile-per hour zone. Fortunately, no one was killed, but at least a dozen passengers were reportedly treated for injuries, with four taken to the hospital. The derailment led to delays that rippled throughout the New Haven Line, causing congestion and hours-long headaches that lasted throughout the evening commute. Metro-North simply deemed this "a slow-speed, minor derailment." Obviously, it was anything but "slow-speed" or "minor" -- it was an ominous red flag that raises serious concerns about whether Metro-North has improved its safety culture after a host of tragedies engulfed the railroad in recent years, resulting in several deaths and dozens of injuries that have shaken commuters' confidence to the core. I write to know what actions Metro-North is taking in response to this latest incident and ask for your confirmation that Metro-North is on target to meet the 2018 deadline for implementation of Positive Train Control technology.

In the days since the derailment, reports have indicated that warm weather caused a "heat kink" on the rails, possibly causing them to slightly warp, making high-speed train travel treacherous in that section of track. Metro-North was apparently aware of this risk and severely lowered the speed limit to ten miles per hour. Despite the railroad's knowledge of the heat kink and the imposition of tougher speed limits, the train flew down the tracks anyway. Clearly, effective operational management broke down. Moreover, Positive Train Control technology -- which prevents human error from allowing trains to speed -- was absent on the track. That allowed the train to speed unchecked, which caused a near-calamity to occur. Accordingly, please provide answers to the following questions.

First, please explain how Metro-North is managing and minimizing the common, foreseeable risk of heat kinks. As we mark Memorial Day and the official beginning of summer, the risks of heat-related issues will only intensify.

Second, please explain how Metro-North is reforming its operations and management in response to this incident, including ensuring that trains go no faster than safe, authorized speeds.

Finally, please confirm that Metro-North will meet the implementation deadline for PTC technology. This is a proven, life-saving system that prevents human error from allowing trains to speed and could have saved hundreds of lives in recent years -- including four who died on Metro-North at Spuyten Duyvil in 2013. Congress set a deadline of December 31, 2018 for its implementation, but reports just yesterday questioned the readiness of commuter railroads to implement the technology by the end of next year. Last week's Rye derailment is yet another reminder of the urgent need to complete its installation -- without delay and without excuse.

I appreciate your prompt response to this letter.

Source