Inspectors find 78 track defects on CSX tracks in upstate New York

Inspectors find 78 track defects on CSX tracks in upstate New York U.S. Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman Wednesday said 78 track defects and one serious violation were found by FRA inspectors during a recent audit of CSX tracks in upstate New York.
   Speaking in Rochester, N.Y., Boardman said most of the defects found did not pose an imminent safety hazard to the public.
   Boardman said that during March 19-28, the FRA used a specialized track inspection vehicle, known as the T-16, to check 1,085 miles of CSX track in upstate New York.
   The day that survey ended, Michael Ward, CSX Corp. chairman and chief executive officer, said his company would move promptly and aggressively to address safety concerns in response to a FRA inspection report.
   The FRA said its ongoing review of rail safety in New York is being expanded to other railroads.
   Boardman added that as a result of the inspections, CSX has committed to strengthen track standards, deploy additional safety technology and develop a stronger safety culture.
   FRA will be vigilant in making sure CSX undertakes these preventative measures, especially improvements in the way they manage routine track inspections, and in fostering safety awareness among employees.
   Boardman said FRA is recommending assessing a civil penalty against the railroad for the single failure to comply with a safety regulation.
   Boardman’s announcement came as the FRA launched another inspection of the same CSX track to identify weaknesses in the track structure, such as the connections between the rail and crossties. This inspection will be conducted using the agency’s T-18 gage restraint measurement vehicle.
   He added that other rail lines in New York that FRA will be inspecting include Norfolk Southern Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, the New York Susquehanna & Western. The T-19 will inspect for track geometry issues like rail alignment and track surface flaws.
   As part of the agency’s National Rail Safety Action Plan, FRA will triple the number of track miles inspected each year to about 100,000 miles.
   CSX has been under scrutiny in New York since a March 12 incident in which a freight train carrying liquid propane and chemicals traveling from Buffalo to Selkirk derailed in Oneida. Twenty-six of the train’s 79 cars came off the track and some caught fire.