U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is expected to convene a hearing on rail safety this morning to examine issues relating to recent accidents involving Metro-North and freight trains carrying volatile petroleum in North Dakota.
Among those expected to testify are Joseph Szabo, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administation, which is currently conducting its own review of Metro-North called Operation Deep Dive. The review is expected to look into the railroad’s operations to determine if a culture of safety exists.
Blumenthal has been pushing the FRA and the National Transportation Safety Board for reports into Metro-North following the derailment and collision of two trains in Bridgeport in May and the derailment of a train in the Bronx that killed four passengers in December.
Christopher Hart, vice chairman of the NTSB, is also expected to testify.
The hearing can be live streamed here.
Here is the press release on the hearing issued by Blumenthal:
