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1/20/2026
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its preliminary report for its investigation of a Dec. 13, 2025, CSX train collision and subsequent derailment in Alabama, which resulted in the death of a CSX conductor.
The accident occurred near milepost 421.5 on CSX's South and North Alabama (S&NA) subdivision near Calera, Alabama. At 2:13 a.m. local time, the conductor was riding on a rail car being shoved from the main track into an auxiliary track. The rail car collided with a second rail car that had been cut from the train and left on the main track, according to the NTSB's preliminary investigation report.
The collision caused three rail cars to derail, including the rail car the conductor was riding. That car overturned, causing the conductor's death, NTSB officials said.
NTSB's ongoing investigation will focus on hazard identification and mitigation strategies; CSX's rules and procedures related to leaving rail cars clear of adjacent tracks; and internal and external oversight.
The Federal Railroad Administration, the Alabama Public Service Commission, CSX and two labor unions are parties to the investigation.