Use of updated technology could have prevented a recent train collision that killed 25 passengers in Chatsworth, CA, Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-MN, said Sept. 17. 

A Metrolink commuter train collided on Sept. 12 with a Union Pacific freight train, killing 25 people and injuring 135 others. Oberstar, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a news release that the use of safety technology, such as global positioning systems, could have prevented the crash. In October 2007 the House passed the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2095), which would require trains to be equipped with collision avoidance systems. The bill moved to the Senate, where it passed Aug. 1 with an amendment by unanimous consent. It now awaits President Bush’s signature.

The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators are examining the Metrolink engineer’s cell phone records from his service provider. Some records received late on Sept. 17 showed the engineer sent and received text messages on the day of the crash, including some while on duty. The board will correlate the records with the crash investigation to determine the precise times messages were sent.