MECCA, Calif. — Two Union Pacific crew members were killed early Thursday morning when a train collided with equipment on a siding near the unincorporated Coachella Valley community of Mecca, KESQ-TV reports.
The accident occurred about 3 a.m. near Bombay Beach on the north shore of the Salton Sea, UP spokesman Mike Jaixen told the station, when the train operated by the crew members entered a siding and struck equipment occupying the siding track. Seven cars derailed as a result. The accident site is on the Yuma Division of UP’s former Southern Pacific Sunset Route.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the incident, Jaixen said.
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Was PTC functioning properly during this time? A switch left open should have tripped a track light for the dispatcher and PTC would have also recognized it…if PTC was operational. My feeling is either PTC was not functioning on the train or cars were left in the siding and it was not reported they were there or it was reported and not entered into the computer system. Also, at least on CSX, there was a siding at Piqua, OH, you entered on a restricting signal. Restricted speed applied until the train cleared the switch and then max speed was 25 prepared to stop, This occurred at 3:00 am. So cars left in the siding and the crew was unaware of it may not of seen the cut until it was too late. Lots of possibilities here.
Vandalism? An ‘open’ switch? In a case of poor ‘situational awareness’ ? Hard to believe it was an area of ‘low Traffic’ after all, It was the old (nee: SP’s ‘Sunset Route’) Find Mecca between Thermal and ‘Mortmar’ ( on the map on pg.31 of the October 2022 TRAINS magazine: [Shows a local elev of 196′ @ Mecca) .
Sympathies to the families of the crew members.
Another scenario would be the possibility a switch in the siding was left open to another track occupied by the cars. In any case a train should enter a non-circuited siding at restricted speed.
My prayers are with their families. I wonder if this is a non-circuited siding that the train was lined into. If so, the cars in the siding would not have caused a track light on the dispatcher screen. From my knowledge as a retired train dispatcher the normal practice is to place blocks on the switches to prevent them from being used. In such a case I would put a note on the screen such as “cars in siding”.