Federal Review Finds Safety Concerns With Metra

A federal review has found safety concerns with the Chicago area's Metra commuter rail service, though none that violates regulations.

The Federal Railroad Administration review was prompted by three safety incidents in the span of about a week this spring.

Two involved trains traveling more than 20 mph over speed limits. The other train passed a stop signal. One Metra employee reported an injury, but none of the incidents resulted in an accident.

The investigation found Metra places an emphasis on fare collection and on-time performance that distracts employees from safety duties.

The report also said Metra only reviewed .07 percent of event recorder data from its trains last year, calling that a very low rate.

Spokesman Michael Gillis says Metra has already implemented several of the report's recommendations.