2 Train Accidents; Renewed Call for NY Rail Safety Study

Two accidents on two of the region's busiest rail lines — Saturday's derailment on the Long Island Railroad and the fatal crash of the Pascack Valley Line commuter train on Sept. 29 — come as officials and advocates renew their call for improved rail safety in New York.

Thirty-three people were injured, four seriously, in Saturday night's Long Island Rail Road derailment in Garden City, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a press briefing Sunday morning.

The goal on the LIRR is to remove the train from the scene and repair the tracks to be ready for the work week commute. Commuters on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines aren't so lucky — the Hoboken, NJ station remains closed as it was severely damaged when the train from Rockland County came in at more than twice the proper speed; so they must keep using one of the jury-rigged alternatives.

Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester), Westchester Assemblyman Tom Abinanti and several advocates are suppporting a bill that would enable a study of all highway-rail crossings, as well as determine the adequacy of traffic and pedestrian warning signals, has passed the Senate and Assembly. The bill now awaits action by the Governor.

“There is a dire need to improve the rail infrastructure in our state, as the incident in Hoboken and last year’s fatal accident in Valhalla prove,” said Senator Carlucci at a rally Oct. 7. “We need to seriously examine why the number of crossing accidents has increased in New York, and what we can do to fix them as soon as possible – lives depend on it.”

The bill, S.3458, would give New York State the ability to provide a proper and professional evaluation on where the faulty rail lines are, and how much it would cost to fix them.

Specifically, the study would examine:
· The safety of level grade crossings and the feasibility of implementing design changes to increase safety and to reduce the likelihood of obstructions
· Adequacy of traffic and pedestrian warning signals
· Federal funding available for safety improvement projects; and the feasibility of equipping passenger and commuter trains with technology to increase safety
· Which level grade rail crossings are considered to be the most dangerous throughout the state

“We need to use the recently announced federal monies as efficiently and effectively as possible to improve the most dangerous railroad crossings. Any railroad crossing improvements should include the results of the Department of Transportation’s assessment of what drivers see and don’t see as they approach a railroad crossing,” said Assemblyman Abinanti. “A comprehensive evaluation of these dangerous crossings will go a long way in protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers.”

SEE ALSO:

• Deadly Pascack Valley Train Increased Speed Entering the Station: NTSB Officials
  
• LIRR Derailment Update: 33 Hurt, 4 Seriously

Photo via Gov. Andrew Cuomo