Special Edition December 2013 Metro-North Railroad Read us at www.yourmnr.org

weekly news

METRO-NORTH IMPLEMENTS IMMEDIATE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

Immediate improvements to reinforce safety at critical curves and movable bridges along the railroad’s right-of-way have been made. These improvements were directed last Friday by a letter to the MTA from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and an Emergency Order from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Signal crews have installed new protections at the Spuyten Duyvil curve, site of the fatal Dec. 1 Hudson Line derailment, to warn train engineers of the approaching speed reduction. The fail-safes also automatically apply the train’s emergency brakes if a train’s speed is not lowered to the 30 mph restriction for the curve

As of Tuesday, Dec. 10, there was enhanced communication between train engineers and conductors to ensure safe operating speeds at four other critical curves as well as at five movable bridges. Conductors will stand with engineers at each train’s control cab through the critical curves to verbally confirm adherence to speed limits. In cases where a conductor cannot reach the engineer in a locomotive, they will communicate by radio. They will also communicate by radio at the five movable bridges.

Our engineers are developing new signal protections to automatically enforce speed restrictions at the other four critical curves by March, and at the five movable bridges by September. The four critical curves are at Yonkers on the Hudson Line, White Plains on the Harlem Line, and Port Chester and Bridgeport on the New Haven Line. All five movable bridges are on the New Haven Line.

We will also reduce the maximum authorized speed at 26 locations to eliminate speed limit drops by more than 20 mph. Signs will be posted along the right-of-way to alert engineers of reductions in maximum authorized speed at the four curves by December 16.

In addition, we will monitor compliance with speed restrictions by reviewing the event data recorders from randomly selected trains, by sending supervisors to ride trains and observe speeds, and by operating radar gun enforcement at locations throughout the Metro-North network.

Currently, two-thirds of our operating fleet has alerter devices in the engineer’s position, with the remaining one-third equipped with dead man’s controls. Within the next year, all equipment without alerters will be either retrofitted to include them or be replaced with new equipment that includes alerters.

At the FRA’s direction, we have also committed to implementing a confidential close call reporting system to allow employees to anonymously report safety concerns without fear of reprisal. This will help identify potential problems before they can cause an accident or injury. (Photos by Joe Chan/MTA)

THANKS FOR YOUR HERCULEAN EMPLOYEE EFFORT FOLLOWING THE DECEMBER 1 HUDSON LINE DERAILMENT

Following the tragic derailment on Sunday, December 1, of a Hudson Line train in the area of Spuyten Duyvil, we were able to resume operating 100% regular Hudson Line service on Thursday, December 5, thanks to those of you who worked 24/7 to clear debris and rebuild tracks.

The tasks were massive: Train cars had to be lifted and cleared from the area; about 800 feet of track had to be rebuilt, while signal and power systems had to be repaired. Because of your incredible effort, we restored one of the three tracks in the area on Wednesday (December 4), to resume 98% of regular service. A second track was brought back, allowing us to operate full AM Peak service on Thursday morning.

Your amazing work was recognized by all parties concerned. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo stated, “Thanks to an extraordinary effort and round-the-clock work, over 98% of service will be restored for Hudson Line commuters

Special Hudson Line Derailment/Recovery Edition

continued

in time for the morning’s rush hour… I’d like to thank our Metro-North crews and first responders who have been working tirelessly to reopen the Hudson Line as quickly as possible.”

“The extraordinary work of Metro-North forces has enabled a rapid resumption of service and I commend them,” MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast said.

What is apparent is that everyone at Metro-North came together, working toward a common cause—to restore service for our customers. Some of you responded to the scene, while others created a train and bus plan. (Thanks also to MTA Bus for providing the equipment and crews to give us ample bus support during the entire incident.)

You also worked to keep the media and general public informed with timely updates, assisted customers with their travel plans in the field and on the phones.

To bring back almost full service in such a short time after this overwhelming accident again speaks to your extraordinary work ethic…thank you for all your effort. (Photos by Patrick Cashin/MTA)

EMPLOYEES REAFFIRM THEIR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY DURING LAST THURSDAY’S SAFETY STAND-DOWN DAY

To give employees time to underscore their continued commitment to safety in their workplace, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo declared Thursday, December 5, as a Safety Stand-Down Day across the MTA.

At Metro-North, President Howard Permut and Chief Safety & Security Officer Anne Kirsch added their voices to Gov. Cuomo’s call for every employee to re-focus their commitment to a safe work environment, following the Hudson Line derailment and its tragic outcome. Below are excerpts of the Safety Stand-Down message and a recap of the agency-wide Stand-Down days sent by President Permut and Kirsch:

How does one begin to recover from a tragedy such as Sunday’s derailment at Spuyten Duyvil?

The loss of life and the injuries to our customers and colleagues have deeply affected everyone who works at this railroad, making it difficult to deal with an already challenging, and horrific, situation. Our sympathies go out to the families of the deceased and all those who were injured.

These are people who we know, who we work with, who put their trust in us to get them to their destinations safely. The thought that this could happen on our railroad is inconceivable.

But we cannot let this incident cripple us. As the investigation into the cause of this tragedy continues, we need to remain focused on operating Metro-North in the safest manner possible..Safety is Priority One and comes before on-time performance and anything else we do.

That requires everyone, no matter what your job, to perform every task with safety as the first priority.

There are rules, regulations and procedures created to protect us and keep us safe in the work environment.We not only have a responsibility to obey those procedures, we have a moral obligation to ensure that our colleagues are doing the same.

That is why Thursday, December 5, was designated by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo as a Safety Stand-Down Day across the MTA. Metro-North’s Safety Stand-Down Day was held at every facility and involved more than 4,500 employees, including senior management, managers, supervisors and front-line employees. The day was dedicated to setting aside a designated period of time to focus on, and review, our commitment to workplace safety. Supervisors and front-line employees devoted time to focus solely on the importance of safety. It was a time for every employee to reaffirm their commitment to promoting safety and, equally important, the day provided an opportunity to have an open dialogue about a safe workplace.

The way we get through this tragedy is by dealing with it, as we have dealt with past incidents and tragedies. We do not let these incidents define us. We learn from them, and do everything in our power to ensure they do not happen again.

That is what makes Metro-North the railroad, the workforce, and the family that we are.

A Recap of Our Safety Stand-Down DayThe input that employees provided was both important and meaningful. A plan will now be put in place for addressing the concerns and recommendations raised at the meetings. We will be reporting back to you next month on this plan.

As we continue to recover from the tragedy of last Sunday’s derailment, the families of those we lost and those still recovering remain in our thoughts and prayers. Over the last several days, we have reached out to them during this difficult time and have expressed our deepest regrets on behalf of the entire Metro-North family.

This tragedy has affected everyone who works at this railroad. If you need support and assistance through this difficult time, our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselors are there for you and everything you discuss is CONFIDENTIAL. They are located at 341 Madison Ave. (44th St., between Madison & Vanderbilt Aves.), 8th FL; call 212-340-2792 for an appointment.

Remember: If you have any safety concern, please report it to you supervisor or call our Safety Help Line at 212-340-3131.