44 train engineers diagnosed with sleep apnea, sidelined

Dozens of New Jersey Transit train engineers have been sidelined because testing imposed after a deadly rail crash found they suffered from sleep apnea.

An NJ Transit train pulls into the station (Mel Evans/AP, file)

An NJ Transit train pulls into the station (Mel Evans/AP, file)

Dozens of New Jersey Transit train engineers have been sidelined because testing imposed after a deadly rail crash found they suffered from sleep apnea.

The agency screened 373 engineers for sleep disorders, and 57 were taken out of service until a full study could be conducted.

NJ.com reported Wednesday 44 eventually were confirmed to have sleep apnea and were sidelined until they met treatment requirements for the disorder, which causes people to breathe irregularly, not get restful sleep and feel tired later.

Three of those engineers remain out of service. The 13 others were found to not have sleep disorders.

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The testing followed a September 2016 crash in which a train slammed into a station in Hoboken, killing a woman and injuring more than 100 people. The National Transportation Safety Board found the engineer suffered from sleep apnea.

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