WASHINGTON — A maintenance worker for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority suffered a below-the-knee amputation after being struck by a MARTA train in an Oct. 19, 2024, incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary investigation report released on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The incident occurred about 11:14 a.m. in a tunnel between the Arts Center and Lindbergh Center stations. The injured worker was part of a four-person crew working to replace non-functioning train approach lights; that group was using several forms of worker protecting, including a watchman responsible for warning the other three workers of approaching trains, and a system called inspection clearance, which notifies train operators of maintenance activities but does not prevent trains from entering the work area at track speed. At the time of the incident, one worker was in a control room preparing to de-energize a relay to identify the malfunctioning lights and possible oncoming trains; two others were engaged in repairs alongside the watchman.
The watchman told NTSB investigators he was focused on taking apart a light when the train entered the tunnel, and that he thought the train alert lights that were activated at the time were because of testing by the worker in the control room.
The NTSB’s ongoing investigation will focus on worker protection, and MARTA policies and procedures.
