Government Report: Metro-North Has 'Deficient Safety Culture' - East Idaho News
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Government Report: Metro-North Has ‘Deficient Safety Culture’

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GETTY 031414 MetroNorthDerail?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1394837619194Cem Ozdel/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — A government review prompted by the December 2013 derailment in the Bronx that killed four people determined that the Metro-North railroad has a “deficient safety culture.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration announced findings from a 60-day investigation, saying that the deficiency caused “increased risk and reduced safety” to riders. The assessment, called Operation Deep Dive, requires the railroad to submit its plans to improve its safety programs within 60 days.

The report dictates that Metro-North is expected to take steps to remedy its issues, including making improvements to its Safety Department’s mission, effectiveness, and employee training along with address more than two dozen recommendations that the FRA made.

“Safety is our top priority,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “and this in-depth assessment should serve as a wake-up call to Metro-North as they work to make their operations safer.” The report stated that Metro-North emphasized on-time performance at the expense of safety. Foxx said that while on-time performance is important, “they cannot come before the safety of every passenger on board or those communities along the system.”

The report followed the Dec. 16, 2013 crash near Spuyten Duyvil Station, which killed four people and injured almost 70 more, and was made public on Friday.

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