A federal review of the Metro-North has shown that the commuter rail puts more emphasis on punctuality than it does safety, the Associated Press reported on Friday.
The Federal Railroad Administration wrote in its report that the railroad, which mostly serves travelers from New York and Connecticut, has put too much emphasis on the trains' on-time performance - so much so that it "routinely" takes precedence over safety measures.
"Metro-North must never compromise safety in the interests of the reliability of its train schedule or the efficiency in its railroad operations," the report read.
The FRA first launched the probe, known as Deep Dive, after a Metro-North train in the Bronx derailed in December, causing the deaths of four passengers. At least 70 others were injured, AP reported.
In the review, officials stated that workers on the rails felt pressure "to rush when responding to signal failures," and that some had difficulties securing the track time necessary to carry out routine repairs, the New York Times reported. Track inspectors had not been inadequately trained, and the "general state" of track maintenance was lacking, the report found. There were also "no sound barriers between the controllers or chief dispatchers," in the operations control center.
FRA officers additionally reported seeing cellphone use by track workers. It apparently "appeared to be quite commonplace."
Metro-North must now give the FRA new plans for its next move within the next 60 days, according to the Associated Press.
"The findings of Operation Deep Dive demonstrate that Metro-North has emphasized on-time performance to the detriment of safe operations and adequate maintenance of its infrastructure," the report, released on Friday, read. "This is a severe assessment, and it is intended as an urgent call to action to Metro-North's leadership."
The New York Times reported that Metro-North made changes to its safety measures following the derailment, including adjusting signals to enforce more stringently speed limits. Officials also have posted speed limit signs at certain high-risk locations.
