Tag: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen

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NJT Weighs Disciplinary action against “No Show” Train Engineers

Ridgewood Train Station

photo by ArtChick

July 20,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  New Jersey Transit is weighing whether it can pursue disciplinary action against train engineers after a manpower shortage forced dozens of ride cancellations causing further commuter uproar this week amid the “summer of Hell” track work at New York’s Penn Station.

NJ Transit Executive Director Steve Santoro said at a joint Assembly-Senate oversight committee that there were 40 total cancellations Sunday and Monday and that he will meet later this week with union leaders.

The union contract spells out the process for discipline, Santoro said after the Democrat-led hearing. “If it’s appropriate, disciplinary action will occur consistent with the contract,” he said.

At this point it is still unclear how many of the cancellations stemmed from engineers exercising a contract provision that allows them to take two days to report for work when schedule changes are made. But vacations and the summer track work also may have been a factor, Santoro said.

James Brown, chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen disputed the claim that the engineers do  not want to come to work.

Republican state Sen. Joe Kyrillos got into a heated exchange, at one point asking Santoro whether it was true they were “screwing” NJ Transit customers by not working earlier this week.

Once again the hearings have made it all the more abundantly clear that Trenton has not clue what the commute is like to New York City  every day and would explain the media ,obsession with “the bidgegate ” faux traffic delays.
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NTSB: Preliminary Report on Investigation of Hoboken Train Accident Released

Hoboken Train Station Crash

 10/13/2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  The National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday its preliminary report on the investigation of the Sept. 29, 2016, accident involving New Jersey Transit train 1614 at the Hoboken Terminal, Hoboken, New Jersey.

One person died and 110 more were injured when the 400-foot long train, which consisted of a controlling passenger car (cab car), three passenger cars and one locomotive at the rear, failed to stop, overrode a bumping post, and struck a wall of the terminal.

The preliminary report details factual information gained to date in the investigation.  It does not contain analysis and does not state probable cause.  The information contained within the preliminary report is subject to change as data is validated.

The NTSB investigator-in-charge formed the following technical groups to gather information and evidence for the investigation:

Operations
Human Performance
Survival Factors
Signal Systems
Track and Engineering
Mechanical/Equipment
Event/Video Data Recorders

Both the engineer and conductor were interviewed by NTSB investigators.  The emergency response to the accident is being reviewed by investigators as are records for operations, signal systems, mechanical equipment and track and engineering.  Investigators inspected the track structure, signal system and mechanical equipment involved in the accident.

Investigators tested the signal and train control system; the accident route was duplicated with signal alignment and functioned as designed.  The signal system was restored to service with the exception of the damaged signal at the end of track 5, the track upon which the accident happened.

NTSB investigators found the cab car’s electrical communication network – necessary for brake, signal, and propulsion control – was destroyed in the accident.  Conversely, accident damage to the cab car’s air brake system was minor and was repaired for testing.  The train brakes functioned as designed during a friction brake test using the rear locomotive to apply the brakes.

Parties to the investigation include the Federal Railroad Administration, New Jersey Transit, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division and Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen.