Reacting to criticism of the state's lax safety oversight by federal investigators probing the fatal train crash in Silver Spring, the head of the Mass Transit Administration yesterday unveiled plans to improve his agency's supervision of MARC operations.
"Given our better understanding of the issue, we feel we need to take this whole issue of safety and training to a higher level," MTA Administrator John A. Agro Jr. said.
The Feb. 16 collision between an eastbound Maryland Rail Commuter (MARC) train and the westbound Amtrak Capitol Limited resulted in the death of 11 people. While MARC is a state enterprise, its trains are run by Amtrak or CSX Transportation. CSX was responsible for the MARC train involved in the accident.
In hearings into the incident conducted last week in Rockville by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), one theme emerged repeatedly: MTA leaves most matters of safety to its two contractors.
In particular, NTSB representatives questioned whether that was appropriate with CSX, a freight carrier that staffs just two passenger lines nationwide: between Washington and Western Maryland on MARC's Brunswick line, where the accident took place, and between Baltimore and Washington on MARC's Camden line.
CSX provides no special training for MARC engineers or conductors on how to react in emergencies. During the hearings, veteran CSX employees testified that they had never even tried to open an emergency escape window.
Mr. Agro said MTA would assemble a task force to develop a safety training program for all MARC employees. The committee, which will include a rail safety consultant, is expected to report its findings to the agency in 60 days.
A spokeswoman for CSX Transportation said the company has agreed to participate in that effort. The NTSB hearings illuminated the need for better instruction on emergency procedures, said Kathleen Burns, the company's spokeswoman.
"We need to do a more thorough job in the emergency preparedness area," Burns said.
Other steps announced yesterday by the MTA include:
A training regime for firefighters and other emergency workers to make them familiar with MARC equipment. Montgomery County firefighters had difficulty gaining access to the crash, in part because they never had been exposed to MARC cars.
Assigning MTA employees to more closely oversee the safety of MARC operations. The agency's safety office no longer will make recommendations only when MARC experiences an accident, Mr. Agro said.
