After NTSB Confirms Sleep Apnea as Cause of Hoboken and Brooklyn Train Collisions, Blumenthal Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Withdrawal of Railroad Safety Measures

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) issued the following statement after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced train collisions in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, New York were caused by engineer fatigue resulting from undiagnosed sleep apnea. Last August, the Trump administration withdrew an early-stage rule that would have required engineers to undergo testing for sleep apnea and similar conditions.

“Today’s hearing amplifies the inanity of the Trump administration’s rollback of prior efforts to address sleep apnea across our transportation networks,” said Blumenthal. “Undiagnosed, untreated sleep apnea has caused collisions and calamities on our railroads. It is simple common sense that railroad workers should be screened and treated for sleep apnea to ensure they’re not suffering from fatigue and can safely do their jobs – and protect the lives of all who depend on them. The Trump administration must immediately reverse course and implement rules on sleep apnea– and take swift action on the many safety and oversight shortcomings highlighted by NTSB’s findings.”