I know my comments will create a firestorm from former railroad managers and those who are anti-labor and anti-union, but I STILL feel (so sue me) that the NTSB conveniently overlooked the problem of understaffed crews who are stretched too thin. Running a commuter train with 400-500 passengers (Metrolink 111 didn't have that many passengers but a lot of Metrolink trains routinely do) with just one engineer and one conductor is a recipe for disaster. You can't expect an engineer or conductor to function over his entire career and NOT, at some point, be distracted by personal problems or other outside influences. Whether it's a divorce, the death of a child, a diagnosis of a terminal illness . . . whatever . . . back in the "old days" there was a second person up in the cab or back in the train who could temporarily pick up the slack and "fill in the gaps" that were being left by the employee going through the troubling situation.

That luxury has since been eliminated. The crews are stretched too thin. And, of course, that all leads back to savings on labor costs. It's ALWAYS about the MONEY, isn't it?

Just my opinion. Okay, consultants, efficiency experts and bean counters -- feel free to flame away.