WASHINGTON — The two CSX employees killed in a 2017 accident near Washington Union Station died as a result of their decision to walk on an active Amtrak track, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report issued Tuesday.
The NTSB has recommended to CSX and Amtrak that they prohibit employees from walking or working too closely to the track of another railroad unless they have a means of communicating with the other railroad.
The June 27, 2017, accident occurred when the CSX conductor and conductor trainee, who had been inspecting a problem with a car on their freight train, were struck by an Amtrak train coming from behind them. The report said their likely focus on an Amtrak train coming from the opposite direct at roughly the same time likely contributed to the accident.
“Walking on active railroad tracks without protection is dangerous and wrong,” Robert Hall, director of the NTSB’s Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials, said in a media release on the report. “Walking on another company’s tracks without protection is even more dangerous.”
The full report is available here, while the safety recommendation is here.
A Union Pacific rule regarding traffic on tracks basically says, “expect a train or rail vehicle on any track, at any time, in either direction and do not depend on your hearing.” I retired from the Soo Line RR (Canadian Pacific) and there was an Soo operating department rule that stated you were never to walk near or between the rails of a track. The only exception was for a bridge where there was no walkway.
Anyone walking on or along a railroad track needs to know that a train can come at any time.
I’ll go with Brett on this one. It took two years only because of Amtrak and the federal government being involved. I worked as a railroad police officer over thirty years and we had fatal accidents covered and trains moving again within hours of the incident. The only delays were the result of returning to the office to get the reports entered into the computers and submitted for approval
(Trespasser on tracks struck by train and injuries were fatal. Locomotive camera, crew statements and witness interviews if any confirmed same. Investigation pretty much done. Waiting for the lawsuit.)
Very sad —
Its like 2 years, and all Amtrak Locomotives have a front camera, that investigation was like 30 minutes of videotape review.
Gerald, I am very well educated. Ive been on Aircraft mishaps ( Military and Civilian & Also worked for the RR also. Can you claim the same?
“Expect a train on any track, in either direction, at any time, scheduled or otherwise.”
Brett, can it, not even a police investigation works like that…educate yourself on the process before commenting.