NJ Transit Makes Rule Change After Tragic Hoboken Train Crash

HOBOKEN, NJ — NJ Transit officials have made a change in the rules for trains arriving at the Hoboken Terminal station in the wake of a tragic crash that killed a woman and injured more than 100 others earlier this month.

A second crew member is now required to stand watch as the engineer pulls a train into the Hoboken station, an agency spokesperson told reporters on Wednesday.

The same policy will also apply to trains at the Atlantic City station, officials stated.

The engineer of the train that crashed into Hoboken Terminal on Sept. 29, killing 34-year-old mother Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, was allegedly alone in the driving cab at the time of the incident, reports state.

• See related article: Tears For Young Mother Killed In Hoboken Train Crash As Probe Continues

Under the new policy, the train’s conductor – who normally focuses on passenger-related tasks – is required to join the engineer at the front of the train and help “focus exclusively on the railroad, calling signal, checking the route and ensuring that the train is operated safely in compliance with all rules and restrictions,” NorthJersey.com reported.

The rule applies whether the lead car of the train is a locomotive or a passenger car, the report stated.

• See related article: Train Engineer Has 'No Memory' Of Hoboken Crash As Other Problems Arise In Probe: NTSB

File Photo: David Wilson, Flickr Commons