The actual wording of EO29 and the justifications cited for signal modifications and a second crewmember are pretty bizarre. http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/3502

The FRA cites several recent incidents: the fatal wreck last week, a derailment caused by track defects, a MOW employee killed because a train dispatcher trainee screwed up and removed the track blocks, another incident where a train dispatcher erroneously removed track blocks, and a CSXT freight train derailment on Metro-North trackage in which the cause has not yet been determined.

There's no other evidence cited that points to locomotive engineers failing to remember to slow down for permanent speed restrictions. I agree that Metro-North has safety issues to contend with but if anything their train dispatchers and the MOW folks are more deserving of an Emergency Order.