Schumer calls for CSX changes

Sen. Chuck Schumer was in Rockland County Monday to call for train safety changes after last week's truck-train crash in Haverstraw. Schumer joined Rockland County Executive Ed Day near the train tracks on New Main Street in Haverstraw, where last week a CSX train collided with a commercial truck carrying cars. Schumer says he is asking the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy to finalize a review of the transportation of highly flammable oil shipments. Schumer ...

News 12 Staff

Apr 17, 2017, 10:49 PM

Updated 2,793 days ago

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Schumer calls for CSX changes
Sen. Chuck Schumer was in Rockland County Monday to call for train safety changes after last week's truck-train crash in Haverstraw.
Schumer joined Rockland County Executive Ed Day near the train tracks on New Main Street in Haverstraw, where last week a CSX train collided with a commercial truck carrying cars.
Schumer says he is asking the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy to finalize a review of the transportation of highly flammable oil shipments. Schumer says Rockland County dodged a bullet because the CSX freight train wasn't carrying crude oil.  More than 100 trains travel through Rockland a day, and Schumer says he wants to phase out these train cars before it's too late.
Removing volatile chemicals from trains could be just the beginning. Leaders also wants trains to slow down altogether.
"If you lower the speed limit by 10 mph on a rail in this county, you're talking about 90 seconds, 90 seconds trading that off in losing dozens of people in an accident,” says Ed Day.
A spokesperson from CSX says it already operates trains transporting crude oil at reduced speeds, in accordance with regulations established by the US Department of Transportation. The spokesperson says CSX will continue to comply with all federal regulations regarding the safe transport of all freight consigned to it.