NEW YORK — The government should spend more money safeguarding railroad crossings that are ‘‘accidents waiting to happen,’’ two US senators said Sunday.
Senators Charles Schumer and Richard Blumenthal spoke at New York’s Grand Central Terminal, the departure point for the Metro-North train that crashed into a car earlier this month north of the city. The car’s driver died, as did five train passengers.
Although the exact cause of the collision has not been determined, Ellen Brody’s SUV was stuck inside railroad crossing gates moments before the train hit. Instead of backing up, she drove forward onto the tracks.
The lawmakers noted that more than 2,000 collisions occurred nationally in grade-crossing accidents in 2013, and more than 200 people died. Schumer and Blumenthal plan to introduce a bill later this month to fund engineering and safety upgrades for crossings.
Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, said that on average there is an accident every three hours at rail intersections that still rely on outdated signal and warning systems.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, said more must be done.
The senators said that if the bill is enacted, funds would go to the Federal Railroad Administration and to states.