Dispatching errors and the failure of two backup systems allowed a Union Pacific train to slam into 74 railcars that had been parked on a side track for nine months in Southern California in 2022.
FILE - Union Pacific dispatchers keep track of trains moving across the western United States at the Harriman Dispatch Center in Omaha, Neb., Dec. 15, 2023. that had been parked on a side track for nine months in Southern California two years ago, killing an engineer and a conductor, according to a report issued Thursday.Investigators determined that mistakes made by dispatchers at the railroad's headquarters in Omaha led to the train being routed directly into the parked railcars.
Normally, a system installed on the tracks would electronically detect the parked railcars and reinforce the note in the dispatchers' computers. But that system failed because rust built up on the track and wheels of the cars during the months they sat idle and prevented the track circuit from conducting electricity.
In addition, Union Pacific rules called for the switches leading into tracks where railcars are being stored long-term to be mechanically locked out. But the NTSB “found no spikes or clamps applied to the switches leading into Bertram siding, indicating that UP personnel had not followed its own rules for protection of railcars in long-term storage.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Investigators say dispatching errors led to Union Pacific train crash that killed 2 workersDispatching errors and the failure of two backup systems allowed a Union Pacific train to slam into 74 railcars that had been parked on a side track for nine months in Southern California in 2022. That's according to a National Transportation Safety Board report issued Thursday detailing what caused the crash in the desert near the Salton Sea.
Read more »
Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 coming to Southeast Texas during Heartland of America TourAs part of the Heartland of America Tour, Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 will be coming to Texas with multiple stops, including three in Southeast Texas.
Read more »
Union Pacific hasn't yet lived up to deal to give all its engineers predictable schedulesThe union that represents train engineers says Union Pacific is holding back on its promises to make their schedules more predictable.
Read more »
Union Pacific hasn’t yet lived up to deal to give all its engineers predictable schedulesOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific is holding back on its promises to make schedules more predictable for train crews to address the quality of life
Read more »
Union Pacific hasn't yet lived up to deal to give all its engineers predictable schedulesThe union that represents train engineers says Union Pacific is holding back on its promises to make their schedules more predictable.
Read more »
Union Pacific hasn't yet lived up to deal to give all its engineers predictable schedulesThe union that represents train engineers says Union Pacific is holding back on its promises to make their schedules more predictable.
Read more »