Logo

The feds need to launch a formal probe of the Long Island Rail Road to examine whether Metro-North’s disturbing safety failings have spread to its sister rail network, Sen. Charles Schumer said Tuesday.

He cited a Post article in January that detailed infractions by the railroad’s workers, such as an engineer who was suspended for playing a video game in his cab.

Another engineer blew a stop signal in the Atlantic Terminal in July 2010, and derailed the train after it ran over the wrong switch.

“The LIRR has a very good record of safety, but we need to be sure that all the best practices are being followed, and The Post’s recent report underscores them in a serious way,” said Schumer (D-NY).

The Federal Railroad Administration released a report Friday describing systemic safety problems throughout Metro-North after a deadly year of derailments, as well as a worker’s death after an error by a rail traffic controller.

“The FRA has clearly found something rotten at Metro-North and we need to make sure that rot hasn’t spread to the LIRR,” said Schumer.

Schumer also mentioned an LIRR track worker who recently survived a brush with the third rail after he fell while working on a stretch of Babylon track March 11.

The employee was treated at Good Samaritan Hospital for serious burns to his leg.

The senator also noted that before the recent accidents, Metro-North had a top-notch safety record.

“We want to catch any mistakes the LIRR is making before it is too late,” Schumer added.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy