Indeed, the agency noted that in 1999, an Amtrak train pulled by a locomotive in front struck a big rig hauling steel in Bourbonnais, Ill., resulting in a derailment that killed 11 people.
But the agency also said it is now "conducting a fresh review" of the matter. In recent weeks, Metrolink cordoned off seats in the front rows of its cab cars, saying it was a prudent safety measure. And in the past, some commuter lines have warned passengers about the risks of sitting in cab cars, according to Federal Railroad Administration documents.
Investigations into the accident are underway by Metrolink, the Federal Railroad Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and Glendale Police Department.
The NTSB will examine cab car crashworthiness while Metrolink and the Federal Railroad Administration will draft their own accident evaluations.
Glendale police detectives are conducting a homicide investigation against Juan Manuel Alvarez, 25, who parked his sport utility vehicle in front of the approaching Metrolink train.
The train hit the SUV and derailed, hit an idle freight train and then collided with another Metrolink train going in the opposite direction.
The inquiries will come under close scrutiny.
"I want to get to the bottom of the issue of whether pushing a train has an impact on safety," said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena), whose district includes Glendale. "Are we compromising the safety of the public? I haven't seen an adequate answer."
An examination of Metrolink's accident records also shed some light on the issue. The railroad's accidents involving cab cars at the front, including the Glendale disaster, have killed 15 passengers and injured more than 330, records show. Crashes involving locomotives in front, though more numerous, have killed no passengers and injured 25.
The Times reviewed all of the 44 Metrolink accident reports from 2000 to the present that involved head-on collisions with motor vehicles and other trains. Earlier crash reports have been destroyed under Metrolink's policy of keeping records for five years.
The available records show that in the vast majority of cases, accidents did not result in derailments or injuries on board the train regardless of whether a cab car or a locomotive was in front. But a closer look at the six Metrolink accidents that resulted in deaths or injuries of passengers since the line opened in 1992 clearly demonstrates that the most serious risks to passengers occur in trains being pushed.
