Senator Richard Blumenthal says Metro-North has a shameful reliability and safety record and has been fined $552,000 over the past decade for safety and other violations.
For every 100 miles of track, Blumenthal says Metro-North had five times the number of safety problems compared to any other U.S. commuter railroad.
A spokeswoman for Metro-North says the nation's second-largest commuter railroad has made tremendous strides in improving its safety culture after two derailments last year.
Marjorie Anders says Metro-North did a thorough inspection of its tracks and other infrastructure and tightened safeguards on when tracks are put back into service. She said it is implementing other improvements such as anonymous reporting of near-accidents.
Sen. Blumenthal says there were 139 violations since 2004. The data was provided to Blumenthal by the Federal Railroad Administration.
“The sheer number of violations is staggering -- 139 violations totaling $552,000 in fines since 2004 -- encompassing serious lapses in safety standards and procedures. While not every reported defect is a serious safety threat, the magnitude of violations is deeply troubling,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “Per 100 miles of track, Metro-North had five times the number of safety defects than any other commuter railroad in the country, a truly shameful record.”
More information about the violation fines is posted on Sen. Blumenthal’s Web site.
Anders said Metro-North shares Blumenthal's goals to have a safe railroad.
A derailment in New York City left four passengers dead and one in Bridgeport injured dozens.
