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8/31/2023
The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report of its investigation into an Aug. 6 accident in which a CSX conductor trainee died during a shoving movement in a rail yard in Cumberland, Maryland.
The accident occurred when the conductor trainee was riding on the side of an intermodal rail car on a CSX train that was moving eastward on the track when he struck the handrail of a standing locomotive on an adjacent track. The employee was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
The train crew consisted of an engineer, a conductor and the trainee. The train was composed of two locomotives and three loaded intermodal rail cars.
Preliminary information indicates the conductor was directing the eastward shoving movement by radio to the engineer, who was in the locomotive cab. The conductor was positioned at the leading end of the movement, riding on a ladder on the south side of the final rail car in the consist. The trainee was riding on the next ladder back on the same side of the same rail car. As the train reversed down the track at about 9 mph, it approached three locomotives parked on an adjacent track, and the accident occurred.
Post-accident measurements taken by NTSB investigators on the scene indicated about 7 inches of clearance between the train and the standing locomotives. While on scene, the investigators examined data from the locomotive’s event and image recorders; reviewed radio recordings, photographs and drone-recorded video footage; completed interviews; and conducted accident reenactments.
The NTSB's investigation is ongoing.
As a result of the accident, the Switching Operations Fatalities Analysis Working Group on Aug. 11 issued an alert advising railroad employees to remain vigilant when mentoring inexperienced employees and to conduct job briefings whenever a job changes.
On Aug. 16, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a safety bulletin that calls on railroads to review employee training programs that address riding equipment in close-clearance situations and to consider marking close- or no-clearance areas with highly visible signs.