(The Associated Press circulated the following story on November 12.)
OMAHA — Responding to two deadly derailments, the Union Pacific Railroad has dispatched more managers to Texas and organized safety meetings with every train crew as they report to work, railroad officials said Saturday.
The stepped-up safety measures were adopted after a train car smashed into a warehouse on Wednesday in San Antonio, killing one man and injuring another.
It was Union Pacific’s fifth train derailment in San Antonio since May. On Friday, the railroad established a 24-hour safety command center to coordinate all safety efforts in San Antonio, Union Pacific spokeswoman Kathryn Blackwell said.
The Omaha-based railroad has also increased walking inspections of tracks in the area.
Union Pacific, the nation’s largest railroad, had a similar series of mishaps in 1997 after its merger with Southern Pacific caused dramatic service disruptions.