http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/nyregion/nj-transit-hoboken-station.html 2016-10-06 02:19:38 N.J. Transit Changes Rules for Trains Arriving at Hoboken Station A conductor must now move to the driving cab of the train with the engineer to serve as a second set of eyes and ears during the last segment of trips into the terminal, where a fatal crash occurred. === In the wake of the fatal train crash in Hoboken last week, The railroad issued an immediate mandate that the conductor must move to the driving cab of the train to serve as a second set of eyes and ears during the last segment of trips into Hoboken. On the train that That train was speeding toward the Hoboken Terminal before it plowed through the bumper at the end of the line and jumped onto the platform, witnesses and elected officials said. As the front car of the train rose up, it brought the roof over the platform crashing down, causing the instant death of a woman who was passing by. The cause of the crash has not been determined. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board said on Wednesday that they were extracting data and video from recorders they retrieved from the train’s driving cab. They said that the engineer told them No trains have run to or from Hoboken Terminal since the crash, and New Jersey Transit has not said when it will reopen. A spokeswoman for the railroad declined to comment on the new directive, so it was unclear if it was a reaction to what has been learned about the circumstances of the crash. But it is no small change in the railroad’s practices. The conductor’s role is to mind the passengers, ushering them on and off the train and collecting tickets. The conductor plays no part in the operation of the train. That is left to the engineer, who is like a captain of a ship. This change in procedures is akin to requiring that the first mate stand next to a ship’s captain and point out any route markers or potential hazards as the ship comes into port. The bulletin says the “conductor and the engineer are to focus exclusively on the railroad, calling signal, checking the route and ensuring that the train is operated safely in compliance.” It applies to trains arriving in Hoboken and at the terminal in Atlantic City, both of which have platforms at the ends of the rails, creating the potential for out-of-control trains to crash into people. The new rule’s implementation on Wednesday afternoon came as a surprise to Stephen Burkert, the general chairman of a union that represents New Jersey Transit conductors. “They’re looking to have a safer railroad, which I fully agree with,” Mr. Burkert said. “Safety is always first for my members and the riding public.” But, he added, the rules will require more work for conductors. “What it technically does is put more job responsibility on the conductor, besides what they had to do yesterday,” he said. “You have effectively doubled the work responsibilities for the conductor.”