(The following editorial appeared on the San Antonio Express-News website on November 17.)
SAN ANTONIO — Angry Texans in Congress and local officials have prompted the Federal Railroad Administration to launch a regional compliance review of Union Pacific Railroad.
That’s obviously justified, coming on the heels of a series of train mishaps that has plagued San Antonio, claiming four lives this year.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, chairwoman of a key transportation subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez and County Judge Nelson Wolff have taken the lead in putting the pressure on federal regulators.
But it is highly disturbing that the local heat had to reach a boiling point before the railroad administration got motivated. The agency now plans to add 10 more inspectors to the San Antonio area.
Continued pressure from elected officials likely will be necessary to make sure those inspectors are still on the job a year from now.
While these steps represent progress, the clear message is that the FRA can’t be trusted to provide aggressive regulation without intense local pressure.
About a decade ago, the agency instituted a partnership approach to regulating railroads. A recent New York Times report showed the partnership has become too cozy.
The Department of Transportation needs to reconsider the partnership policy and ask some hard questions about the FRA’s leadership.
South Texans want Union Pacific and other railroads to prosper, but citizens also want adequate safety measures.
It should not take half a dozen accidents and four deaths before railroad regulators do their job properly.
FRA bureaucrats are supposed to work for the public, not the railroads. Most likely, San Antonio officials will have to continue reminding them of that.