BRIDGEPORT –Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement after the release of new National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports detailing the probable causes of the five major Metro-North Railroad accidents between May 2013 and March 2014.


The reports identified the factual information and causes of the five major incidents over the past 18 months, including the Bridgeport derailment, the death of worker Robert Luden near the West Haven rail station, the derailment of a CSX freight train, the fatal derailment at Spuyten Duyvil, and the death of Metro-North electrician James Romansoff while working on an elevated track in Harlem.


“Today’s NTSB reports are a call to action for a host of individuals and entities that are responsible for rail safety. As evidenced by these reports, the Federal Railroad Administration’s failure to create and implement safety protocols and regulations is a key reason these accidents happened. It needs to take the lead and require railways to adhere to stricter safety policies now instead of waiting for another accident to happen. Metro-North’s new leadership has started to adopt a culture of safety, and it has made strides, but it’s clear more needs to be done.  However, the most important takeaway from the NTSB reports is this: investments in rail safety save lives. It’s not just the responsibility of the FRA and Metro-North to prioritize safety – it’s Congress’s responsibility as well. We have an obligation to provide sufficient money to invest in the Northeast corridor so that there is no excuse for deferred maintenance, a major factor in many of these accidents.”