Rail Advocates Ask CPUC For Safety Guarantees Before Approving Union Pacific-Southern Pacific...

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 1996--Rail safety today urged the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to require strong safety improvements before approving the merger of Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads.

Since the start of this year, there have been numerous

"While these accidents have not all involved UP or SP, it is clear that there are severe systemic problems with the American railroads that should be addressed before the proposed merger is allowed to proceed," stated Jim Lantry, executive director of RailWatch, while speaking before the CPUC.

"As the facts about these tragedies continue to come out, we are finding that too many of them could have been avoided if only the railroad had acted on early warnings."

RailWatch is an independent organization dedicated to increasing public safety at America's dangerous rail crossings. It has actively opposed a proposed Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rule that would remove any incentive for railroads to invest in additional active warning devices at America's dangerous rail crossings.

"Our national railroad system has suffered a string of fatal accidents," Lantry said. "Toxic and hazardous material spills have forced the evacuation of surrounding residents and closed major highways. It seems that the bigger railroads get, the sloppier they are at enacting sensible safety reforms. Before we allow yet another merger, the public has a right to insist that appropriate safeguards be enacted.

"In September, the railroads lobbied Congress to end the safety fee which funded an FRA safety inspection program. They complained that it cost too much, did too little, and that they were capable of inspecting themselves. Now we see the results of that self-inspection. Dozens of people have been killed since the start of the year and that doesn't count those killed at railroad crossing accidents."

Since 1984, the number of deaths at railroad crossing accidents has remained fairly constant. In fact, the same number of people died in 1994 as 10 years earlier in 1984. About half of these people were killed at unguarded crossings. There are more than 67,000 railroad crossings that are not protected by any active warning device whatsoever.

"The Union Pacific merger would create the largest railroad network in the country. It should also be the safest. Before you approve this merger, this country needs a guarantee that every railroad crossing in the expanded UP-SP system be analyzed for the adequacy of warning devices with a commitment to improve those found inadequate, that freight cars traveling through the system will all have reflective markings or side illumination to make them more visible at night, that the railroad will work with local authorities when setting speed limits and that these limits will be based on something more than just the condition of the track, in order to protect the public from releases of toxic cargo, all hazardous materials will be transported in cars meeting the guidelines set forth by the National Transportation Safety Board, and lastly that local emergency personnel will be notified 24 hours in advance of any hazardous material shipment through their jurisdiction.

"Only when these vital safety measures have been taken should the CPUC recommend in favor of the merger," Lantry concluded. -0-

Sampling of Recent Rail Accidents (that might have been prevented had the railroads heeded warning signs)

Fox River Grove, Ill. - Seven children died when the school bus they were riding was struck by a commuter train. The railroad knew of the problems with the intersection. An accident just a year earlier and a near-accident a few hours before the fatal crash should have alerted the railroad to the problem and prompted them to take precautionary measures. They did not.

Silver Springs, Md. - A METRO engineer died after his train slid into another on the icy rails in January. The railroad had been alerted to the problem by the engineer who was killed. The engineer had requested permission to slow the train from its pre-set speeds of 70 mph after he had slid past several stations. His request was denied.

Cajon Pass, Calif. - A freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed killing two crewmen and releasing toxic fumes which forced the evacuation of nearby residents. The accident was preceded by a similar accident 14 months earlier. The railroad could have fixed the rear brake problem before another accident occurred. They did not.

Cushing, Minn. - A freight train operated by the same railroad involved in the Cajon Pass accident derails one month after the Cajon Pass accident injuring six people and spilling ammonia fumes forcing the evacuation of nearby residents. Non-functioning rear brakes were reported to be the suspected cause of the accident just as in the Cajon Pass accident. The railroad, which had been ordered to repair these brakes, should have done so. They did not.

Trenton, N.J. - A commuter train crash killed three. It was discovered that the engineer had been suspended repeatedly over the years for safety violations including derailing a train. The railroad should have looked more carefully at his record before letting him engineer that fateful train. They did not.

Leadville, Colo. - A freight train derailed killing two crewmen and spilling sulfuric acid. It has been reported that the engineers had notified the railroad of ice in the brake lines. Could the railroad have prevented this tragedy if they had acted? We'll never know.

CONTACT: RailWatch, San Diego

Jim Lantry, 619/792-8084