Oct 3, 2008 1:58 am US/Pacific
Railroad Regulators Issue Emergency Cell Phone Ban
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
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Federal railroad regulators have issued an emergency order banning use of cell phones and other electronic devices by rail workers.
CBS
Federal railroad regulators have issued an emergency order banning use of cell phones and other electronic devices by rail workers.
The move came one day after investigators said Metrolink engineer Robert Sanchez was text messaging moments before a crash last month that left 25 people dead.
Violators could be fined or removed from their jobs under the Federal Railroad Administration rule.
Experts say preliminary evidence released yesterday by the NTSB on the timing of the messages appears to rule out that he was unconscious at the time and could show that Sanchez, who was among the dead, was distracted at the time of the crash.
NTSB investigators have found no indication of mechanical error, signal malfunction or problems with the track.
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