MTA Metro-North Railroad today announced that it has earned the highest safety award from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). The commendation, known as the Gold Award for Safety, was given to Metro-North for developing a state-of-the art employee protection system that other railroads could consider replicating. The system, known as the Enhanced Employee Protection System (EEPS), was implemented in 2014. It adds a layer of protection for employees who work along and near railroad tracks, further enhancing the railroad’s efforts to safeguard against worker injuries and fatalities.

 

EEPS is a technology-based system created by Metro-North that allows the Supervisor in charge of a work site to prevent trains from entering a given stretch of track by receiving confirmation that protection is in place along with a random, confidential "Release Code" via a smartphone or pager. Trains are blocked from entering that section of track. When it’s time for the track to be returned to service, the confidential "Release Code" must be communicated to the Rail Traffic Controller before the system allows the protection to be removed.

 

“Metro North Railroad is at the forefront of ensuring safe services for their customers and safe practices for their employees,” said Richard A. White, APTA Acting President and CEO. “Its actions to protect track workers is a blueprint for how systems can operate in the safest way possible by putting the foreman of the repair crew in charge of shutting down and re-opening sections of track to ensure safety. Congratulations to Metro-North on its award and for having the utmost concern for their riders and passengers.”

 

“We’re proud to receive this honor from the American Public Transportation Association,” said Joseph Giulietti, President of Metro-North. “Earning the Gold Award is a recognition of our intense focus on promoting a culture of safety throughout the organization and reducing the potential for workplace injuries and fatalities. The award is not an end point for Metro-North, rather a promise that we’ll continue to meet the highest standards for customer and employee safety.”