Blame shared in fatal train wreck

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

Blame shared in fatal train wreck

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Failure of Canadian National Railway Co. to inspect and maintain its tracks led to the fatal derailment of Amtrak's City of New Orleans near Flora, Miss., in April 2004, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released Thursday (Sept. 29), according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Canadian National had written procedures in place for maintaining the track, but "track employees at multiple levels did not follow or ensure adherence to these instructions," the safety board said.

The Memphis-bound Amtrak passenger train's conductor saw the rail ahead was "kinked" as he approached the Big Black River north of Jackson and tried to slow the train, which was traveling at 78 mph. But the locomotive and all eight cars were derailed. One passenger was killed and 45 passengers and crew were injured.

UTU News

 

[Chatter163]

I believe that the reference to the conductor was supposed to be the engineer. And this was in a transportation union report? :lol:

 

[battalion51]

Matt, I read the actual NTSB report. The report states that the Amtrak Crew was not at fault in any way shape or form. The Engineer saw a misalignment ahead, went down to Supression, and finally dumped it. That's about all you can ask a guy to do in that sort of situation. All the toxicology tests were negative, the crew was adaquately rested, and the train was handling well with no defects. The only two reccomendations the NTSB had for Amtrak was to better prepare employees for accidents with the PREPARE program, since one employee never recieved the training, and they had trouble finding the paperwork for three of them. The other reccomendation was to reform its practices on checking Emergency Exit windows during the PM cycle to make the process more thurough and better documented.