Could the New Jersey train crash happen here? Metrolinx seeks to reassure commuters
Officials at Metrolinx say they are closely watching the investigation into Thursday morning's commuter train crash in Hoboken, New Jersey that killed at least one person and injured more than 100 others.
"We were all horrified," Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins told CBC News. "Our hearts go out to them. We have never been through something as horrific as that, but we know that when you run a large railway system, it is always possible."
Witnesses say the New Jersey train did not slow down as it entered the Hoboken station. The train was not equipped with an emergency system to slow it down in the event the operator was unable to work the brakes.
Aikins doesn't want to speculate about the cause of that crash, but says GO Transit trains have a number of safety features in place.
"We always have a two person crew, so that if one person got sick or something like that, there is another person who can take over. Our control centre is always monitoring the train," she said.
She says there are alarms throughout the trains which allow passengers to bring the train to stop in an emergency. There are also automated systems that put on the brakes should a passenger force open a door.
Metrolinx says more than 250,000 passengers pass through Union Station each day. With such a busy daily schedule, it has implemented strict speed limits for trains entering and leaving the station.
""We have a lot of customers complain about how slow it is," said Aikins. "The trains come in very slowly and that's for safety, because that's our first priority."
She says there are differences between Canadian and U.S. rail safety regulations, but adds when the New Jersey investigation is complete, Metrolinx will review the findings to see what improvements could be made here.
"Nothing can ever be 100 per cent safe," said Aikins. "You can build in all the safety procedures you want, but they're called accidents for a reason. They can happen to anyone."
