North Tonawanda, N.Y. (WBEN) - A call for action is coming from Washington, D.C. in light of the tragic collision between an Amtrak train and a passenger vehicle in North Tonawanda that claimed the lives of three people this past Friday.
Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) has written a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), requesting the agency to conduct an investigation into the accident in an expedited manner and, if appropriate, make recommendations to improve the safety of the CSX-owned crossing.
Kennedy’s letter noted that the at-grade crossing, one of 18 in the City of North Tonawanda, previously saw a fatal accident in 2001, as well as other non-fatal accidents.
Similarly, there was a fatal accident at another North Tonawanda crossing at Witmer Road in January, which also sees a local investigation still ongoing into the accident.
"These are not as rare as people want to believe. There's actually thousands of incidents that happen across the country every single year, and there's hundreds of fatalities at these at-grade crossings. So this is a real problem, and each one is different," said Rep. Kennedy on Tuesday during an appearance on WBEN. "I know there's an ongoing investigation about this particular incident, and again, in the wake of this, it's just so tragic and heartbreaking that three beautiful lives were lost that didn't have to be."
As the former Chair of the State Senate Transportation Committee, Kennedy spearheaded the introduction of a freight rail safety package following the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio.
This package would create a central database for reports, audits, and train inspections. It would limit train lengths to no more than 8,500 feet, require at least two crewmembers on freight trains, increase the use of safety gauges and positive train control technology, establish a freight rail safety task force, and require disclosure to the state when hazardous materials enter or pass through the state.
As more information is learned about the causes of the tragedy in North Tonawanda, Kennedy will work with his colleagues to address rail safety at the federal level.
"There are standards for certain, but they're not working to the level that we need them to. We need the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct this investigation, and use it as a complement to the other investigations that have taken place to improve safety at crossings in our community and across the country," Kennedy said. "We shouldn't have to wait for the next tragedy to take place for action to happen."
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According to the FRA, investigations can vary in duration, but the agency aims to complete all major accident investigations within 270 days. Following completion, a formal written report is issued that provides details of the accident.
The Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Safety Analysis reports that there are 18 at-grade rail crossings in the City of North Tonawanda. Not accounting for last week’s accident, there are six documented incidents at the Felton Street crossing. They occurred in 2017, 2013, 2001 (1 fatality, 1 injury), 1997 (1 injury), and 1984.
"Thousands of incidents that happen that are preventable ought not happen, and what we need to do is we need to use this moment as a reminder that we can do better. The fact that this has happened in our community is a staunch reminder that we have to call for action," Kennedy said. "That's why I'm asking the Federal Railroad Administration to expedite their investigation. They have criteria that needs to be met in order to have an investigation. I believe that criteria was met with this incident, there were three fatalities. And again, we have to keep those families in mind as we move forward, and we certainly will."