Letter to Administrator Batory, FRA - Hire More Rail Bridge Inspectors For New York And Send One Of Them To Syracuse ASAP

Letter

Dear Administrator Batory:

I urge you to immediately conduct a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) inspection of the entire elevated rail viaduct in the City of Syracuse, as well as an audit of the most recent inspections conducted by New York Susquehanna & Western (NYS&W) Railroad. Following the collapse of a portion of the NYS&W railroad bridge in Downtown Syracuse on July 5th, the city has received summaries of bridge inspection reports on the elevated railroad within city limits. However these summaries lack adequate information for city officials to assess the full range of safety concerns that exist along the viaduct. I ask the FRA to use their authority to help assure Syracuse residents that the bridges under which they walk and drive are safe.

The railroad track runs roughly 6.5 miles through the City of Syracuse, much of it is elevated and passes through the city's densely populated downtown. It is my understanding, as required by federal law, rail bridge inspections that evaluate the entire structure are done annually by railroad owners and then, where appropriate, audited by Federal Railroad Administration staff. It is also my understanding that the FRA coordinates with railroad owners on these reports in addition to performing random inspections of rail bridges. Due to the circumstances surrounding this incident, it is appropriate the FRA utilize this authority to both conduct an independent examination of the viaduct as well as audit most recent private inspection reports.

I have made it a priority to increase the number of federal railroad bridge safety specialists nationwide and urged railroad companies to do their part to keep bridges safe by providing timely information on the state of rail bridges. The most recent bridge collapse, and the lack of information made available by both the NYS&W and FRA, shows there is still much work that needs to be done. Without the complete inspection reports conducted by the private railroad made available to city officials and residents, it is necessary that the FRA conduct its own inspection of the rail bridge. It's only through increased transparency that we can find out what went wrong in this situation so that we can work together to prevent future accidents.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff.

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