Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., praises Amtrak for installing engineer cams.
Amtrak says it will install inward-facing cameras in the engines of all Northeast Regional trains running between Washington D.C. and Boston. The order for cameras to check on train engineers came in the wake of the Amtrak crash May 12 in Philadelphia that took the lives of eight passengers.
“This step is a significant milestone for safety – enabling riders to be more secure, and railroads to run more reliably,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee. “Today’s announcement is important for Amtrak passengers and safety along the Northeast Corridor, but I urge the (Federal Railroad Administration) to act immediately to ensure the installation of inward-facing cameras is mandated on railroads nationwide.”
Engineer-cockpit cameras may help keep engineers on their toes or, at a minimum, provide documentary evidence of the engineer’s condition prior to an accident. The Philadelphia crash is still under investigation and Amtrak has not determined the degree of culpability of Train 188’s engineer, Brandon Bositan. The train was traveling 106 mph just before it went into a curve and derailed. But a sleepy engineer figured in the 2013 Metro-North crash in Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx, which killed four.
Amtrak announced Tuesday it would install engineer-cockpit cameras initially on ACS-64 engines on all Northeast Regional and long-distance trains running between Washington and Boston, as well as on trains between New York,Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa. The high-speed Acela would have cameras installed at a later date.
“Inward-facing video cameras will help improve safety and serve as a valuable investigative tool,” said Amtrak President & CEO Joe Boardman. “We have tested these cameras and will begin installation as an additional measure to enhance safety.”
Blumenthal agreed that cameras could be an important step forward for rail safety. “It has become crystal clear that inward-facing cameras – with the right privacy protections for employees – are a critical way to make our railroads safer,” he said. “Cameras improve accident investigations, deter unsafe behavior, and detect compliance with safety laws, which is why I have urged their installation as soon as possible.”