OAKLAND, Calif. — Video from a locomotive camera shows that the operator of a Union Pacific maintenance-of-way vehicle turned in front of an Amtrak train and fouled the track just prior to a July collision in Oakland, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the July 15 accident.
The preliminary report was released Wednesday. A preliminary report spells out the basic facts of the accident; a full report, addressing probable cause and potential actions to avoid similar accidents in the future, can take up to 18 months.
The accident, at the 50th street grade crossing in Oakland, occurred about 11 a.m. and closed the Union Pacific main line for more than 9 hours [see “Three injured when train strikes on-track maintenance vehicle …,” Trains News Wire, July 18, 2022]. The NTSB report indicates four people were injured: The operator of the maintenance vehicle was transported to a hospital for treatment of severe after the accident; a passenger from Capitol Corridor train No. 531 was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries; and two train crew members were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
At the time of the accident, the Speed Swing roadway maintenance machine involved in the accident was part of a two-machine crew working to clear stolen or abandoned vehicles near the grade crossing. The employee in charge planned to set up a work zone on Track 2 of the two-track main, and the roadway maintenance machine was transitioning off the rails of Track 1 and onto the roadway at the grade crossing when the train arrived on Track 2. It was traveling at 68 mph at the time of the collision; the maximum speed for the area is 79 mph.
The maintenance machine was damaged heavily and ended up on the house track adjacent to Track 1. The locomotive was damaged but the train did not derail. Damage was estimated at more than $265,000. The preliminary report indicates roadway worker protection will be a focus of the ongoing investigation.
Had the train been in “push” mode, the cab car would have derailed due to less weight and shield of the locomotive with more passengers injured or even killed.