Amtrak & CSX collision, South Carolina

[LeeLivery]

Unfortunately another US rail crash has occurred, this time in South Carolina. 2 are people dead, 50+ in hospital.

From BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42935764

A train carrying 139 passengers has collided with a freight train in the US state of South Carolina, killing two people, local police say.

The train's lead engine and several passenger carriages derailed in the crash, Amtrak said in a statement.

Eight staff members were also on board the train, which was operating between New York and Miami.

It comes four days after a lorry driver was killed when his vehicle hit a train carrying lawmakers in Virginia.

The local sheriff department said more than 50 people were injured in the crash, which happened early on Sunday.

The American Red Cross says it has sent rescue workers to the scene of the crash in the city of Cayce.

There have been a number of fatal train crashes in recent years. Last December, three people were killed when a passenger train derailed after hitting a 30mph (50km/h) curve at 80mph in Washington state.

Other sources say it was around 2.30am

 

[theageofthetra]

Unfortunately another US rail crash has occurred, this time in South Carolina. 2 are people dead, 50+ in hospital.

From BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42935764



Other sources say it was around 2.30am

Presumably this is the 'Snowbird Special' ?

 

[nlogax]

Presumably this is the 'Snowbird Special' ?

Train #91, aka Silver Star

 

[Groningen]

Amtrak locomotivenumber 47 and from CSX (with carswagons) the second unit is the 36. it occured in a bend; so no time for an emergency stop. If there was one it was just too short to bring to a stop. Location of the crash is (33.909099, -81.067072) on Google Maps.

 

[455refurb]

Shocking. Thoughts to the crew of both trains and the passengers on the Amtrak.

The US has a very real and immediate rail safety problem. Confidence in the industry, if it hasn't already, will take another hit... Quite how they will resolve it with the recent funding cuts is, surely, a big question.

 

[ac6000cw]

Judging from the state of the remains of the lead CSX loco (most of the bodywork wrecked) and of the Amtrak P42, the impact force must have been fairly high... It looks like a head-on collision.

 

[WatcherZero]

Freight train was reportedly stationary, two fatalities are Amtrak employees, number of injured risen to 116.

 

[MarkyT]

The site is Dixiana where CSX have a major auto distribution terminal on the east side of the single track and a double ended siding (passing loop) on the west, long enough to hold a freight clear of the main line. From photos of the incident, the CSX locos appear to be in the correct spot to wait in the siding for the Amtrak to pass. The photos show the Amtrak to have been diverted from the clear main line onto the occupied siding at the north junction, straight into the head end of the freight. It looks like the territory is fully interlocked with signals under CTC so it's possible the route was lined for the CSX to leave the siding heading north, but the southbound Amtrak ignored signals at the previous siding (only about half a mile away to the north). The siding turnout switch mechanism breaking and moving under the moving Amtrack seems highly unlikely, as the train appears to have left the main line cleanly and completely onto the siding before colliding. It was only after that diversion that the wreckage partially derailed under the forces of the deceleration.

 

[goblinuser]

Sorry to jump to conclusions so early and my thoughts are with those affected, but this is what happens when investing in the railway is neglected.

 

[Groningen]

It is amazing on Twitter that Amtrak feels the full force of accident. They are to blaim before an enquiry has fully started. Yes; there are stories that Donald Trump wants to fund Amtrak less, but why than invest in railways. For the freight of course!

 

[theageofthetra]

Freight train was reportedly stationary, two fatalities are Amtrak employees, number of injured risen to 116.

The number of seniors who use that service will probably add to the injury list.

 

[theageofthetra]

It is amazing on Twitter that Amtrak feels the full force of accident. They are to blaim before an enquiry has fully started. Yes; there are stories that Donald Trump wants to fund Amtrak less, but why than invest in railways. For the freight of course!

Hasn't been funded properly for 40+ years. Sad to say that the US is the only developed country that I would consider safety before undertaking a non metro rail journey.

 

[455refurb]

Hasn't been funded properly for 40+ years. Sad to say that the US is the only developed country that I would consider safety before undertaking a non metro rail journey.

Indeed - very sad. We had plans to do a US coast-to-coast by rail, these are indefinitely on hold.

 

[Groningen]

This is a tweet of Patriot Juliet to give an example: PEOPLE SHOULD NOT B RIDING TRAINS #CABAL WILL B DERAILING A LOT! #DISTRACTION-SUPPOSD FUEL LEAK MISHAP #Q'Anon EXPOSD OBAMA'S GET AWAY & CONGRESSMAN TRAINS DERAILD-Amtrak,CSX Train COLLISION In South Carolina-2 Dead, OVR 100 INJURED.

 

[WatcherZero]

5000 gallons of fuel were leaked in the accident yes, lucky wasnt a fire.

 

[Taunton]

It is amazing on Twitter that Amtrak feels the full force of accident. They are to blaim before an enquiry has fully started.

Indeed. This is an operational collision, on CSX tracks, dispatched and controlled by CSX.

 

[MarkyT]

Indeed. This is an operational collision, on CSX tracks, dispatched and controlled by CSX.

True, but equally the train was driven by an Amtrak engineer who has sadly lost his life it has now been confirmed, along with the conductor. The misrouting leading to the collision could have many possible causes, including an unauthorsied SPAD by traincrew, an incorrect verbal or written instruction from dispatch, even a technical problem with the signalling. We simply don't know any more yet.

 

[IainG81]

My condolences to the families and work colleagues of the people who died who appear to have been an engineer and a train conductor. Tragic happens overnight and family and family may have woken to the news.

 

[theageofthetra]

This is a tweet of Patriot Juliet to give an example: PEOPLE SHOULD NOT B RIDING TRAINS #CABAL WILL B DERAILING A LOT! #DISTRACTION-SUPPOSD FUEL LEAK MISHAP #Q'Anon EXPOSD OBAMA'S GET AWAY & CONGRESSMAN TRAINS DERAILD-Amtrak,CSX Train COLLISION In South Carolina-2 Dead, OVR 100 INJURED.

What kind of low IQ twerp would actually tweet that? It's not even in English.

 

[Groningen]

A tweet from me on Twitter (yes it is really me) / That last sentence is sarcasm by the way:
Cayce / South Carolina / @Amtrak / The IQ of many @foxnews viewers must be very low looking at the comments on @twitter concerning the crash of train 91. It is Amtrak's fault before enquiry has finished; and of course Barack Obama (and Hillary Clinton) is to blaim! Lock them up.

 

[MarkyT]

It looks like this particular siding was not in fact interlocked with signals at all. The next siding, about 1/2 mile towards Columbia is definitely fully signalled, with interlocked switch machines and colour light signals clearly visible on Google Earth and Streetview, but the turnouts for the siding concerned and the adjacent auto terminal by contrast look like they are controlled by manually operated switch stands that are usually secured with padlocks by train crew under instruction from the dispatch centre. So it could be that there was no technical means at all for the dispatcher to confirm the position of the turnout except for the verbal confirmation from the local crew of the freight, which had recently pulled out of the auto terminal then backed into the siding according to the NTSB spokesperson at a briefing, confirming that the switch had been lined and locked in the turnout position towards the siding and on first inspection the padlock was found to be still present, locking the the switch in that position. Some serious communication breakdown issues it seems, but it could be that the unfortunate Amtrak crew were not at fault at all.

 

[Groningen]

That track to the left is going to Hansen And Adkins. A place for loading and/or unloading of cars. 300 meters to the north (where the Amtrak came from) it is still single track. The middle track is the main track.

 

[ac6000cw]

Quote from Amtrak here - https://www.yahoo.com/news/latest-2-killed-south-carolina-crash-amtrak-train-131506605.html

Amtrak President Richard Anderson says the signal system run by a private railroad was down when one of his passenger trains slammed into the rear of a parked freight train carrying automobiles on a side track in South Carolina, killing two workers.

Anderson said dispatchers at CSX were manually routing trains around 2:45 a.m. Sunday. He says he would defer to National Transportation Safety Board investigators to determine what role that played in the wreck that also sent 116 people to the hospital, most with minor injuries.

 

[Taunton]

NBC report that the CTC was out of action for work, and trains were running by radio dispatch. Also that the CSX freight on the siding was tied down and unmanned, and the switch was lined and locked from the main into the siding.

 

[Groningen]

Hopefully that story is not true. That Amtrak 91 is coming that area around the same time every day.

 

[philabos]

Without getting into politics, the general public has about zero understanding of Amtrak.
I have seen comments about profiteering or they should stop paying dividends. Neither applies, and the foolishness comes from everywhere.
NTSB now saying switch lined and locked for the siding as mentioned by Taunton.
We know how, but not why at this point.

 

[Taunton]

Those in the UK may not initially understand, but it is quite standard on CTC territory for the line to be fully signalled but there are still manually operated switches on the main line. Only the more significant switches have point motors under remote power control, lesser used ones have the equivalent of a ground frame, with padlock. This is tied in to the signalling circuits, so the moment you unlock it, the protecting oncoming signal goes red, and the crew are to operate it under orders from the dispatcher, and report back when they are clear, the signals acting as a safety net.

 

[edwin_m]

Failing to line the switch for the main after entering a siding has caused numerous accidents in the States in the past. It was standard practice in the traditional "train order and telegraph" system for the train crews to do this, with approaching trains having no confirmation of the lie of the switch other than an indicator which would be far too late if approaching at speed. Major lines now have CTC but it would appear some failure in the system may have removed that protection in this case.

 

[ac6000cw]

There are some echos here of the 2005 crash at Graniteville, SC (in unsignalled territory) involving a freight that was diverted at speed into a industrial spur, due to the mainline switch having been left in the diverging position. Following the investigation, new/tightened rules were introduced about reporting the positions of manual mainline switches to the dispatcher.

 

[Taunton]

Major lines now have CTC but it would appear some failure in the system may have removed that protection in this case.

It would appear from reports that the CTC was out of service for "work". Possibly the fact this happened early on a Sunday morning gives may indicate a weekend work project of some sort. It's reported that operations had fallen back to radio track warrants (a radio version of paper train orders) or similar, done by radio messages between the crew and the dispatcher.

The usual discussion in the media about Positive Train Control (TPWS equivalent). Possibly if all the signals were out and a fallback system in use, any PTC would not be in operation either.

I wonder how long the tied down freight had been in the siding.