3 Metro-North Workers Suspended In Safety Failure

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Metro-North says two rail traffic controllers and a track foreman were suspended without pay after a miscommunication led to a safety failure.

Track workers were preparing to perform maintenance Nov. 4 on a section of track near the Noroton Heights station in Connecticut. Metro-North said the rail traffic controllers appear to have used improper radio protocols to make sure the last train was clear. They placed bridge plates across a track, allowing riders to board and leave trains.

However, a westbound local train was still operating on the track. The engineer saw the bridge plate and stopped short of it, avoiding an accident.

The New York Post on Thursday reported the incident.

Metro-North has made a priority of improving safety following several accidents in 2013, including two that were fatal, and a damning report in August, in which a Metropolitan Transportation Authority panel said Metro-North sacrificed safety for on-time performance.

The panel examined safety and maintenance practices at Metro-North, the Long Island Rail Road and the city's subway system. It found that the "safety culture" at the LIRR and the subway system "appears to be performing fairly well."

But at Metro-North, the panel said, "there is strong evidence to suggest that this is not the case."

The panel identified tension between train operations and maintenance at all three agencies but said the issue is "magnified" at Metro-North, where on-time performance has been paramount.

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