Blumenthal, Murphy Statement On FRA Emergency Order Issued To Metro-North

(Hartford, CT) – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement after the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued an Emergency Order (EO 29) to Metro-North urging the commuter railroad to take specific, immediate steps to ensure its train crews do not exceed speed limitations at certain complicated operating locations and, until remedial actions are taken, require two qualified railroad employees to operate trains:

Blumenthal and Murphy said, “This emergency order is unfortunately vitally necessary to protect passenger safety, but it is only one step in a larger urgent strategy that must be imposed. Intervention by the FRA is welcome, but no substitute for immediate action by Metro-North to revamp safety systems. We look forward to continuing conversations with Secretary Foxx and Administrator Szabo next week to discuss additional legislative and regulatory actions that may be necessary to improve safety at MTA, and we will work with federal agencies in holding Metro-North accountable for improving safety and reliability immediately.”