Federal rail experts will judge safety compliance and culture at the commuter railroad that operated the train that derailed and killed four people in New York City this month.
The Federal Railroad Administration said Thursday it is launching a comprehensive safety assessment of Metro-North, the nation's second-largest commuter railroad. It starts Monday and will last two months.
Officials say agency experts will be looking at a long list of Metro-North practices. They include engineer oversight, medical requirements for crew members and compliance with federal regulations.
Investigators have found that the train that derailed was going 82 mph as it went into a 30-mph curve Dec. 1. Representatives of the train's engineer say he may have momentarily lost focus.
Metro-North said Thursday that it's already taking its own look at safety.
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