Lawmaker to Seek Push Train Inquiry

A local congressman said Tuesday he would ask federal regulators to study the safety of pushing passenger trains from the rear with locomotives -- a widespread practice called into question following the deadly Jan. 26 Metrolink accident in Glendale.

“The federal government must do everything in its power to make sure commuter safety remains the top priority for rail operators,” said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), whose district includes Glendale.

Schiff said he would request that funding for the research be included in the transportation, treasury and housing appropriations bill for fiscal year 2005-2006.

If approved, the measure would direct the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct a “definitive study” regarding the safety of push operations, which have been used by commuter railroads for almost 50 years.

No such study has ever been done, according to the American Public Transit Assn.

In push mode, a train is controlled from a cab car in front with an engineer’s station.

The practice avoids the costly and time-consuming process of turning engines around at the end of a line.

Some rail safety experts say cab cars can leave passengers vulnerable because they are more likely to derail and sustain more damage in head-on collisions compared to heavier locomotives.

Nationally, at least six serious accidents, killing 38 passengers and injuring almost 1,000, have occurred in the past decade.

Since Metrolink opened in 1992, 15 passengers have died on the system’s trains and more than 300 have been injured in three separate accidents involving push operations.

Crashes involving locomotives in front, though more numerous, have killed no Metrolink passengers and injured 25.

Officials at Metrolink and other commuter rail lines defend push operations, saying they have provided hundreds of millions of miles of accident-free travel since the late 1950s.

Denise Tyrrell, a Metrolink spokeswoman, said the railroad would be interested in results from responsible researchers.

Schiff said his request for a comprehensive study was prompted by discussions with transportation officials and recent news articles about cab car safety in The Times.

Although the Federal Railroad Administration is reviewing the safety of push operations, Schiff said more thorough studies were needed.

Schiff wants federal regulators to compare the safety of push operations to trains pulled by locomotives.

He also would like them to investigate the relative frequency and severity of accidents and the effectiveness of different safety features.