WASHINGTON — A Norfolk Southern conductor killed in a February 2019 accident in Baltimore was riding on the side of a car in a close-clearance area — contrary to rules prohibiting such an action — when he was pinned between his train and a car on an adjacent track, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report.
The accident Feb. 19, 2019, at about 7 a.m., at NS’ Bayview Yard occurred at a location where the distance between the train the conductor was riding on and cars on an adjacent track decreased to just 9 inches.
While the conductor’s action led to his death, the NTSB also found information regarding close-clearance areas in the governing timetable’s terminal instructions was inconsistent and lacked clear messaging, and that the NS training program did not emphasize and test on close-clearance restrictions in the Baltimore terminal. The NTSB recommended revising the terminal instructions and the training program to address these issues.
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