NEW YORK (Reuters) — A commuter train crash at a busy New York City terminal on Jan. 4 was the latest of several accidents that have focused attention on how rail agencies monitor the health of their operators.
The Long Island Rail Road derailment’s cause, which injured more than 100 people, remains unknown. But officials immediately drew comparisons to a similar crash in Hoboken, N.J., in September that involved a driver who apparently had a sleep disorder.
The Federal Railroad Administration issued an advisory citing the Hoboken crash and recommending that rail agencies screen crews for sleep apnea.
After the Hoboken crash, NJ Transit also improved its sleep apnea screening process, which had been in place since at least 2005, a spokesman said. Any rail employees with “safety-sensitive” jobs who exhibit sleep apnea symptoms are removed from operation until they can certify that it has been corrected or controlled.
