The Nation - News from Nov. 6, 1987

The Senate voted 93 to 0 to increase penalties for violating federal railroad safety regulations and to require for the first time a national standard for train operators. The bill was sent to the House, which has yet to consider a similar measure. The legislation comes in the wake of the collision of an Amtrak passenger train and Conrail freight locomotives near Chase, Md., last January that left 16 people dead and 175 injured. The Senate bill calls for the Transportation Department to issue rules and standards spelling out minimum qualifications for train operators. It also boosts penalties for violation of federal safety rules from $2,500 to $10,000 per violation.