NEW BUFFALO, Mich. — Eleven people reportedly suffered minor injuries when Amtrak Wolverine train No. 355 bound for Chicago struck vehicles at a grade crossing and derailed in New Buffalo Township, Mich., about 10 p.m. Thursday night, WZZM-TV reports.
At least eight trains scheduled for today have been cancelled while derailment cleanup takes place.
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office reports the train’s engineer and 10 passengers were injured. A tow truck was reportedly removing a truck stalled at the grade crossing when both vehicles were struck by the train at the Lakeside Road crossing near U.S. 12. The New York Times reports an estimated 218 passengers and six crew members were on board. Passengers were taken to a temporary shelter at New Buffalo High School. Some were picked up there by family or friends; Amtrak arranged buses to transport the remaining passengers at about 12:40 a.m.
According to a post on the Amtrak Alerts social media feed, these trains which use the same route have been cancelled for today (Friday, Nov. 17): Wolverines 350, 351, 352, 353, 354, and 355, and Blue Water trains No. 364 and 365. The post Amtrak was attempting to arrange alternate transportation.
— Updated at 9:30 a.m. CST with photos.
Another DARWIN 101. I know a vehicle can stall at any time or place. The first thing to be done is to safely move the vehicle (If it doesn’t involve a hazard. While this vehicle was stalled on the tracks, the tow operator “SHOULD have known” that he/she should have moved this vehicle away from the hazard (being on the railroad tracks) before towing operations start.
Can picture in my mind what the tow truck driver’s insurance company will say about the claim being filed.
Number of things missing today. Common sense for one. It seems the last thought, from my experience, is to call the railroad. I also question if drivers ed or state driving manuals cover the subject of crossing ID. The Class 1’s have been doing their best to educate law enforcement agencies. But there is no mention here if law enforcement was called. New Buffalo has several lines in the area. Amtrak line and CSX line from Grand Rapids are very close to each other. The best incident I was ever involved in was hitting a brand new Ford F350 at a crossing near Sweetwater, TN. It belonged to a crew installing railroad crossing signs and had actually parked the truck ON the crossing while working out of the back of the truck. The name of the contractor was Caution, Inc. Dispatcher got a good laugh out of that one.
Mr. Schmitt has it right. ALL RR crossings have the blue tag containing the pertinent information. Of course, not everyone in the public will know this, BUT the police departments, nationwide, absolutely should! Crossing safety should be part of their basic training. Operation Lifesaver must do more outreach to officer training programs.
All official crossings? Lots of unauthorized crossings out west that officially don’t exist.
I wonder if a lot of this inability to understand & make decisions in such situations is an acquired/environment form of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) unlike those who have it from early development. Has the over stimulation of American society through technology made many loose their critical thinking abilities as a result? Just a observation.
Every grade crossing has a blue signs on the signal or post, it has a phone number and a DOT number for that crossing. All they had to do was call the number.
How many are going to know to call? Most folks aren’t railfans–we know where to look. Ca. 1989 I came across a car stalled at an ex-NYC road crossing AT NIGHT a way east of Rochester NY. I got out the RR lantern (modern) to try to flag any train in 79-mpg territory. They got it off before any train showed up and I didn’t get to use my flares..
Of course this has been going on for years; a fire once broke out at night in Clinton MA beside the B&M to Worcester during potato harvest season. When the first whistle blast broke for the crossing the Chief remarked “Now Boys, you DID remember to thread the hose UNDER the rails?”. The engineer was a throttle artist: sizing up the situation perfectly he brought his Maine Bullet to a halt with his lead truck touching but not cutting into the over-the-rail hose. A Real Throttle Artist!
Big blue sign right on the crossing signal mast. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7997459,-86.6684928,3a,48.6y,16.32h,89.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8k5Mso8whHtMcLT5Xme3dA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu
This is the same state where an Amtrak train hit a Detroit fire truck sitting on the tracks after responding to a 911 call.
A problem that is as old as railroading. The tow-truck driver, local first responders, Berrien County sheriff dispatch, have to know how to contact the railroad — or even which railroad to contact, as there are two majors (Amtrak and CSX) and at least one short line in Berrien County.
Then it works in reverse. A railroad needs to know, from its end, who to call if the railroad notices an issue. A possible scenario, a T+E crew calls its DS and asks DS to call the county. But what county is the train in? Or counties, plural, given the length of some of today’s freights.
The reverse scenario has for the most part already been solved, at least on the Class Ones. They have a hotline number and only need a milepost and they know exactly whose jurisdiction they are in and who to contact.
Is the blue contact sign even a question on a CDL test?
Enough time to get a tow truck on scene but not enough time to call the railroad.
There is such a thing as an unsignalized crosdsing in which case there’d be no placard.
Charles sez: “There is such a thing as an unsignalized crosdsing in which case there’d be no placard.”
Most states now require the blue contact placard on unsignaled crossbucks.
Charles, it is a federal requirement (FRA) to have a blue Emergency Notification Sign at every grade crossing in the US – signalized or not. The sign has a phone number to call the correct railroad and notify them of a problem. The real problem is, many don’t think to call it.