FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2008
Contact: Tom Pfeifer, (202) 225-5811
Chatsworth Train Crash Tragedy
WASHINGTON, DC—MR. SPEAKER: On Friday, September 12, 2008, a Metrolink commuter train collided with a freight train near Chatsworth, California. Most of the passengers were residents of my congressional district, on their way home from the Los Angeles area. Twenty-five people have been killed and many more critically injured. It was the deadliest train accident in this country in fifteen years.
It is also the second deadly crash on this commuter line in three years. This one however, was much worse. As gas prices have skyrocketed, Southern California commuters have increasingly turned to rail service. Among the dead and injured are law enforcement personnel, educators, civil servants, students, and others, who were doing their best to save time and money while avoiding some of the worst congestion in the country. As reports continue to come in regarding the cause of this tragedy, my neighbors in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo, Ventura, Santa Paula, and other communities in Ventura County now mourn for their loved ones.
I would like to express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy and offer comfort to those who are injured. I assure them we will do everything we can to determine the cause and to ensure that something like this never happens again.
Contact Elton Newsroom E-mail Newsletters Elton’s Blog Appropriations requests Transportation requests Sitemap
Page Updated