Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

  • US Orders Metro-North Safety Review

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    John Bobsin

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    Following the fatal train wreck on December 1, the United States Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on December 12 ordered an “extraordinarily rare” review of Metro-North Railroad’s operations and “safety culture”, according to reporting by Matt Flegenheimer in The New York Times (Dec. 13).  The FRA dubbed the review, expected to last 60 days, “Operation Deep…

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  • Metro-North to Upgrade Signals After Wreck

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    John Bobsin

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    Acting quickly on December 8 after the Federal Railway Administration ordered enhanced safety precautions following the fatal Metro-North crash on December 1, Metro-North Railroad said it had enhanced its signal systems to warn trains approaching the slow-speed curve at Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx.  In addition, if the train is within the curve and exceeding…

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  • NJT Super Pass on Super Bowl Weekend

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    John Bobsin

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    NJ Transit is gearing up for Super Bowl weekend.  To encourage transit use by the 400,000 visitors expected in the metropolitan area (only 80,000 of whom can fit in MetLife Stadium for the game itself), NJT plans to offer an unlimited-ride ticket called the Super Pass, good from January 27 through February 3, for a…

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  • Super Bowl Transit Plans Emerge

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    John Bobsin

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    Super Bowl 2014 at the MetLife Stadium in the Jersey Meadows on February 2 promises to set new records in public transportation, or perhaps in gridlock, which organizers hope to avoid.  This won’t just be any game at the Meadowlands, according to reporting by Nate Schweber in The New York Times (Dec. 10). For one…

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  • Train Late? MTA Writes Excuse Notes

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    John Bobsin

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    If your subway train is late in New York, your boss may not understand, and a note from Mom may not further your career.  However, in New York City, there’s an alternative: the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will be happy to write the excuse note, and Mom won’t have to after all. Over the last…

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  • Safety Board Reports on Crash Investigation

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    John Bobsin

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    The National Transportation Safety Board’s on-site team investigating the December 1 fatal crash on Metro-North Railroad has completed its initial work and has returned to Washington; it may return to gather additional information.  On December 9, it released a report on progress so far:  Inspection of the train that crashed has uncovered no mechanical anomalies;…

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  • Equip Trains with Safety Cameras (Lawmakers)

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    John Bobsin

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    If several area lawmakers have their way, trains nationwide would be fitted with surveillance cameras that would record what the train engineer does and the track ahead.  Sen. Charles Schumer of New York and Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut joined in a news conference at Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal on December 8 to make the…

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  • Feds Order Emergency Rules on Metro-North

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    John Bobsin

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    The Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order on Friday, December 6, ordering Metro-North Railroad to implement enhanced safety practices at certain track locations, according to reporting by Matt Flegenheimer in The New York Times (published online, Dec. 6).  The order appears to apply to locations where the speed limit decreases by more than 20…

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  • Fatigue Widespread in Rail Industry

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    John Bobsin

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    Fatigue or engineer inattention appears to be a contributing factor in the Metro-North commuter train crash on December 1 that killed 4 passengers and injured 67, some seriously.  The engineer’s lawyer has said that the engineer “zoned out” before the crash, becoming fully awake only when it was too late to slow for the 30-mph curve…

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  • Push-Pull Train in Crash Lacked “Alerter”

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    John Bobsin

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    The common operation of “push-pull” trains by railroads again came under investigation as it was revealed that the control cab at the front of the Metro-North train that crashed on December 1 did not have an “alerter” system in use.  Such a system monitors the engineer’s actions and, if he or she does nothing for…

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