WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton issued the following statement regarding the recent accidents on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR). Sunday afternoon three rear cars of a 10-car train derailed. One of the cars jackknifed across three separate tracks, and the two other cars needed to be cut apart at their coupling point with torches. The derailment did extensive damage to the rails and switches, and caused disruptive delays for thousands of commuters. Last Wednesday, two cars collided just west of Jamaica, causing five minor injuries and severe delays throughout the system.

“The recent LIRR accidents are a stark reminder of the problems facing our railroads, and while thankfully there were no major injuries these incidents should serve as a wake-up call that more must be done to monitor and manage these critical rail safety issues. With more people than ever turning to mass transit to ease their financial burdens in this tough economic climate, this is clearly not the time to begin cutting funding for rail maintenance. We need to ensure that Americans have access to safe and reliable mass transit, which is why we must have a stimulus that includes a significant investment in transit. New York has the nation's largest public transportation system and we need to do all we can to help it remain the nation's best as well.”

In her continued efforts to ensure rail safety throughout the state of New York, in August of last year, Senator Clinton introduced the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2007 (See - http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=280630&&). The legislation would update federal rail safety programs that have not been reauthorized since 1994, and would address several industry-wide concerns with the aim of greatly improving safety for railroad passengers and employees, and for commuters at rail crossings, and people who live near railroads. In May 2007, Senator Clinton also testified at a hearing on rail safety before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, calling for increased oversight and enforcement power for the Federal Railroad Administration
(See - http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=274854&&).

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WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton issued the following statement regarding the recent accidents on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR). Sunday afternoon three rear cars of a 10-car train derailed. One of the cars jackknifed across three separate tracks, and the two other cars needed to be cut apart at their coupling point with torches. The derailment did extensive damage to the rails and switches, and caused disruptive delays for thousands of commuters. Last Wednesday, two cars collided just west of Jamaica, causing five minor injuries and severe delays throughout the system.

“The recent LIRR accidents are a stark reminder of the problems facing our railroads, and while thankfully there were no major injuries these incidents should serve as a wake-up call that more must be done to monitor and manage these critical rail safety issues. With more people than ever turning to mass transit to ease their financial burdens in this tough economic climate, this is clearly not the time to begin cutting funding for rail maintenance. We need to ensure that Americans have access to safe and reliable mass transit, which is why we must have a stimulus that includes a significant investment in transit. New York has the nation's largest public transportation system and we need to do all we can to help it remain the nation's best as well.”

In her continued efforts to ensure rail safety throughout the state of New York, in August of last year, Senator Clinton introduced the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2007 (See - http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=280630&&). The legislation would update federal rail safety programs that have not been reauthorized since 1994, and would address several industry-wide concerns with the aim of greatly improving safety for railroad passengers and employees, and for commuters at rail crossings, and people who live near railroads. In May 2007, Senator Clinton also testified at a hearing on rail safety before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, calling for increased oversight and enforcement power for the Federal Railroad Administration
(See - http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=274854&&).

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