Metro-North Changes Considered After Accidents

Federal regulators studying a deadly New York derailment are considering proposals and recommendations following five accidents related to the Metro-North Railroad.

The National Transportation Safety Board met Wednesday in Washington.

One of the accidents was a Dec. 1 derailment that killed four people in the Bronx. The NTSB concluded last month that the engineer had fallen asleep at the controls because he had undiagnosed sleep apnea.

One proposed recommendation asks doctors’ groups to improve physicians’ ability to diagnose and treat apnea.

Other proposed recommendations include that Metro-North routinely screen “safety-sensitive” employees for sleep disorders. Another suggestion is for a model labor agreement that supports screening.