CSX fined for safety violations

CSX fined for safety violations    The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration said it fined CSX Transportation $227,000 for overriding a highway-rail grade crossing warning system that caused one of its trains to kill a motorist in New York one year ago.
   The freight railroad was penalized for interfering with the operation of the crossing signal, not reporting the equipment failure within the required 15-day period, and previous instances of interfering with the normal functioning of a grade crossing system.
   “Railroads have a duty to ensure that grade crossing active warning devices, including flashing lights and gates, work properly and to make timely reports when they fail,” said FRA Administrator Joseph Boardman in a statement. “Failure to do either is unacceptable.”
   The fatal accident occurred when a conductor stopped his eastbound CSX train short of the intersection near Fonda, N.Y., and used a manual control box to lift the gates for highway traffic to pass. The manual device was used improperly and prevented a westbound CSX train from activating the warning system to alert motorists of its approach. The train struck an automobile and killed the driver.
   CSX was fined $298,000 last February for violations of highway-rail grade crossing regulations related to a 2004 accident in Henrietta, N.Y. that killed an elderly couple.
   Following the Henrietta accident, FRA inspected 199 other highway-rail grade crossings maintained by CSX in New York. The FRA identified problems at several crossings that led CSX to develop and implement an action plan to bring them into compliance.
   The FRA has conducted more accident investigations after a New York Times series in 2004 showed lax safety enforcement at the agency.