No one was injured in Monday's incident in Oneida, but homes were evacuated and a portion of the state Thruway was closed as a precaution. The cause of the crash may not be known for more than a year, but in most derailments, track problems are the cause, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

"Lately, we have had an accident almost every other week. Enough is enough," Schumer said. "We've got to get to the bottom of this. Whether it's carelessness or negligence ..."

Schumer introduced legislation which, if passed, would direct millions of dollars to improve rail infrastructure. It would also toughen regulations on rail companies and increase penalties for negligence.

"The rail industry runs things now in Washington," he said, saying that inspections are too infrequent, fines too weak and requirements to upgrade train cars too lax. "Federal regulators haven't done enough to crack down," he said.

Schumer's bill would also set age limits for cars carrying hazardous materials, mandate that cars be inspected once a year and upgraded every 15 years while raising the maximum penalty for gross negligence.

The senator singled out CSX, the largest railroad in the Eastern United States. Its trains include the one involved in the Oneida derailment. Since December, CSX trains have been involved in four accidents around the state. The company operates more than 1,300 miles of track and employs 2,400 New Yorkers, according to its Web site.

Schumer called Monday's crash in Oneida the latest of a "string of frightening and potentially catastrophic accidents involving CSX trains."

On Jan. 16, 13 cars on a CSX train left the tracks in East Rochester. No one was injured. The week before, 20,000 gallons of methanol caught fire at a CSX rail yard near Albany. On Dec. 10, a CSX train carrying cans of mixed vegetables derailed on an overpass near Buffalo, leaving one boxcar teetering on the edge of a bridge.

Despite the seeming increase in train crashes, the Federal Railroad Administration said crashes in New York have actually decreased in 2006 to 89, down from 105 in 2005.

"I totally agree with the senator on the issue," said East Rochester Mayor David Bonacchi. "They need to look more closely at how they do their inspections and check their rails."

Bonacchi said an inspection report in September showed deviations in area rails that needed repair. There is no indication whether those repairs were ever made, or how urgently the repairs were needed.

"CSX, or the Federal Railroad Administration, for whatever reason, just isn't getting the job done," Bonacchi said. "There's too many rail accidents. It doesn't seem they make any significant strides to ensure significant safety."

Bonacchi said he was glad there were no fatalities from the crash in Oneida. "But it's just a matter of time. You can't keep having trains blow up in unpopulated areas."

Bonacchi complimented CSX for restoring train service after the East Rochester crash and paying for damage. He was told the company loses $100,000 an hour when the line is closed.

"If you're losing $100,000 an hour, you're going to be motivated," he said.