The tragic train wreck in Chatsworth that claimed 25 lives is among the worst railroad accidents in California history.
 

It also raises serious questions about how transportation planners in the tri-county region should proceed as we rethink the balance between roads and mass transit solutions for the 21st century.

Some of our left-leaning politicians see rail as the panacea that can move more people, reduce carbon emissions and replace highways altogether.

We think that rail has a much more limited, but perhaps valuable role in reducing peak traffic along busy corridors, particularly Highway 101.

But rail won’t work unless the public is confident that it is safe. A modest investment in advanced signal equipment and better training for engineers and other personnel is the least we can expect in the wake of the Chatsworth catastrophe.