New Jersey lawmakers, press outlets and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are investigating what caused the Hoboken train crash two months ago. These hearings and investigations suggest NJ Transit might have a poor history of following safety regulations.
An FRA investigation found employees used phones, failed to carry out brake tests and did not stock trains with emergency tools. Some trains lacked fire extinguishers. NJ Transit also did not employ teams to install positive train control technology.
According to a June audit conducted by the FRA, NJ Transit was cited for 50 separate safety violations shortly before the Hoboken crash.
Additional FRA data collected by the Associated Press (AP) shows NJ Transit trains had 157 accidents since early 2011. These accidents, 57 percent of which happened because of human error, led to $6 million in damages and 13 injuries to passengers (excluding the Hoboken crash).
Data collected by the AP also reveals that NJ Transit has paid $519,290 in fines for 183 safety violations since early 2011. The data shows 33 percent of these violations were for drug and alcohol use, and another 33 percent? were for ignoring safe operating procedures.
Do You Believe NJ Transit Cares About Its Commuters?
An attorney representing victims of the Hoboken crash remarked on how NJ Transit’s history of violations shows it does not care about the safety of commuters. Keep in mind, the AP’s audit of FRA data suggests NJ Transit has accident rates three times higher than other large commuter railroad companies.
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