New in the DOT Fast Lane--FRA sends severe Metro-North safety assessment to Congress

In mid-December 2013--after four high-profile accidents in six months on the Metro-North commuter railroad--the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) launched Operation Deep Dive, a comprehensive, 60-day safety investigation of Metro-North. Today, we're releasing the results of that detailed review in a report to Congress.

The report indicates that "Metro-North’s management emphasizes on-time performance to the detriment of safe operations and adequate maintenance of its infrastructure, resulting in a deficient safety culture, increased risk and reduced safety on the Metro-North system."

As Secretary Foxx said, "This in-depth assessment should serve as a wake-up call. Efficiency and on-time performance are important, but they cannot come before the safety of every passenger on board or those communities along the system."

You can read more about today's report and Operation Deep Dive on our Fast Lane blog.