Schumer wants railroad bridges inspected more frequently

WASHINGTON – US Senator Charles Schumer announced a push to increase the number of federal railroad bridge safety specialists nationwide.
He said on Thursday there are only seven specialists that oversee audits for the Federal Railroad Administration. In New York, there is only one specialist assigned to over 3,000 privately-owned train bridges and that person is responsible for bridges in 13 other states as well, the senator said.
In the Hudson Valley alone, there are 307 privately-owned railroad bridges.
Given the very small staff and heavy caseload, he said it is nearly impossible for bridges with potential safety problems to be reviewed by federal specialists.
Schumer said by adding $1 million to the FRA budget, the federal agency could double the number of inspectors, and increase its ability to audit more bridges each year.