New Jersey Transit Was Under Investigation Before Fatal Crash.

'The Federal Railroad Administration began investigating safety problems at New Jersey Transit before a fatal train crash last week, a federal rail official confirmed on Saturday.

Federal officials began an audit in June of New Jersey Transit, the nation’s third-busiest commuter railroad, after noticing an increase in safety violations and a leadership vacuum at the top of the agency, said the official, who was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to discuss it publicly. After completing the audit, the federal agency issued a series of violations to the railroad, the official said.

During the busy morning commute on Thursday, a crowded New Jersey Transit train slammed into a wall at the Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey, killing a woman and injuring more than 100 people. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

As part of the earlier railroad administration audit, dozens of inspectors visited New Jersey Transit’s railroad operations in June, the official said. The federal agency often inspects railroads, but an audit is a more serious step that is not common.

On Saturday, Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the safety board, said the agency would review the federal audit as part of the investigation into the crash.'>>>

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