WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration issued a safety advisory this week in the aftermath of an April collision and derailment on Union Pacific that involved a misaligned hand-throw switch.
The FRA continues to investigate the April 16 collision in Texas that occurred in dark territory with no positive train control overlay. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the wreck this week.
“A train operating at speed encountered a switch improperly lined into a yard track, which was occupied by a stationary train,” the May 9 FRA bulletin says. “The incident resulted in the derailment of three locomotives and twelve grain cars, with both members of the crew sustaining serious injuries.”
The FRA safety bulletin emphasizes the importance of the safe operation of hand-operated main track switches by:
- Conducting proper training, periodic oversight, and compliance with rules covering hand-thrown mainline switches.
- Ensuring that switches are visually verified to be properly lined.
- Ensuring clear and concise verbal communication among all crewmembers to confirm switch position before leaving the location where a hand-thrown switch was used.
- Releasing limits of main track authority in dark territory only after reporting to the train dispatcher that all hand-operated main track switches have been restored and locked in normal positions.
- Use multiple methods or tools to validate that safety critical tasks are complete.
Rickie: I responded to your comment. Upon review of the article….NO overlay of PTC and it was DARK territory thus no CTC. endmrw0515232244
As a crew van driver, I witnessed an “accidental” unlock of a switch and points were moved, the brakeman SLAMMED it back to re-a-line the main. Too late, that red light on the CTC in Omaha would not go out. He begged to not suspend the whole crew since it was his mistake. He did not ask permission before acting on his own. I had to take the whole crew back home.
My point, ALL CTC systems should have “main line” switches wired, even manual operated, in a circuit to advise dispatch. endmrw0515232241
Poor mans ctc, install a sensor that the dispatcher sees. May not be perfect, but at least it would tell the dispatcher about open switches.
Even with Hand Throw Switches The Dispatcher should be aware that it Wasn’t aligned Properly Correct me if I’m Wrong
Joe seems to have a GOOD answer. Cost? Gimmie a break. When initial cost is compared to clean up of a wreck.?????? There is no comparison to money spent and ROI seems positive. And considering human nature, somewhere this IS going to happen AGAIN. Problem with Joe’s suggestion, it makes Common Sense. endmrw0513231405
Banners on switch bands can not be relied on. They can be bent, vandalized, etc. This is another case of a crew NOT relining the switch for main line movement but reporting it is, train in the clear and releasing their track authority. This was the cause of the Amtrak accident in SC. A caboose would not have made a difference in this case.
When I was a conductor, if I had one bit of doubt about IF I had lined a switch properly, I went back and checked. A lot can be going on in the mind of whomever was supposed to line that switch. Not an excuse as you’re supposed to be focused on the task at hand. But dealing with reality. Anyone operating in dark territory has a level of trust in that everything is being done properly. The biggest accidents are those misaligned main line switches.
Mr Wayman you are close to a simple solution. There are signal systems that can be installed at switches that will tell a train which way the switch is lined or if they need to stop and check. They don’t require an approach circuit. They monitor the position of the switch and are solar powered and have an illuminated signals. The signal remains dark to conserve electricity and it is activated by punching in a code on the radio key pad. They’re out there already. Just a simple matter of the railroads spending the money.
Maybe time for all hand thrown switches to have very visible switch stands reinstalled?
I don’t know about this territory but in non-signalled territory 49mph is allowed for freight trains and in many places a switch target is not going to make much difference given curves and grades, etc.
Bring back cabooses??? Or make switches on main line power operated and monitored.