Federal railroad authorities on Tuesday urged passenger trains to slow down on approaches to curves and have a second engineer aboard if an excessive-speed warning system is not in place.
The Federal Railroad Administration issued its safety advisory in the wake of the Amtrak crash May 12 in Philadelphia resulted in eight lives lost and dozens injured. The accident is still under investigation but the National Transportation Safety Board established the train was traveling 106 mph in a straightaway approach with a limit of 80 mph and the curve with a 50 mph limit.
The advisory also cited the Metro North crash as Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx in 2013, in which six were killed. The train in that accident was traveling 82 mph as it entered a sharp curve with a 30 mph limit.
“These measures may well save lives in the future _ and could have prevented tragedies in the past, if they had been implemented earlier,’’ said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee. “This step is welcome if it indicates that the FRA is finally taking action on the backlog of safety recommendations and needed reforms that will help prevent future crashes and catastrophes.’’
The advisory Tuesday said passenger lines should identify track portions where there is more than a 20 mph reduction from the curve approach and the beginning of the curve itself. It also said lines should modify their on-board warning systems _ Automatic Train Control _ to ensure speed-limit compliance, and place a second engineer aboard trains without ATC.
“I’m glad the FRA is issuing these recommendations as one in a long series of necessary steps to prevent tragedies resulting from excessive speed,” said Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who is on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “However, implementing today’s recommendations alone will not prevent all rail-related deaths. Congress must invest in maintaining and improving our rail infrastructure to ensure safe and efficient service for citizens and commuters.’’