The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday issued a report calling into question the Metro-North’s lack of communication and commitment to safety, following five accidents in Connecticut and New York since May 2013.
NTSB said lack of track maintenance and poor communication between its various departments led to four crashes and the deaths of two track workers. The fifth accident – a derailment in the Bronx in September that killed four passengers – was caused by the engineer’s sleepiness, the result of an undiagnosed case of sleep apnea and a sudden change in his schedule.
Metro-North is headquartered in New York, but the organization operates the passenger commuter train lines in south and west Connecticut, including the busiest commuter rail line in the country: the New Haven line.
The report also cited oversights by the Federal Railroad Administration and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
In a statement in response to the report, Metro-North President Joseph Giuletti said the company is building a new culture of safety and responsibility.
