​View of the Walbridge (Ohio) Yard accident scene. (Source: CSX)​

NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on CSX Carman Fatality in Ohio

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report for its ongoing investigation of the Sept. 17, 2023, accident involving a CSX carman, who was struck and killed by a

NTSB: How Not to Blow a Gasket

The National Transportation Safety Board has released findings and safety recommendations on DOT-117 tank cars that address the performance of gaskets employed in sealing manway covers and valves in a derailment, and

​​NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy (right) with some of the 15 new employees sworn in on Sept. 25. The agency now has 433 staffers. (Caption and Photograph Courtesy of NTSB)

NTSB Boosts Staffing, Reduces Average Investigation-Completion Time

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Sept. 27 reported hiring a record number of employees this year “to keep up with emerging technologies and reduce the average time it takes to complete investigations.”

The collision between Amtrak train 531 and the UP RMM occurred as the RMM moved from main track 1 across main track 2, which was occupied by train 531. (Courtesy of NTSB)

NTSB Railroad Investigation Report: Amtrak Train 531 and UP RMM Collision

The NTSB released a Railroad Investigation Report after a collision between Amtrak train 531 and a Union Pacific Roadway Maintenance Machine in July of last year.

NTSB Opens Public Docket for Ongoing Investigation of Fatal UP Collision (Updated with Commentary)

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened a public docket for its ongoing investigation of the Sept. 8, 2022 accident near Imperial County, Calif., involving a Union Pacific (UP) freight train

​​Figure 1. Aerial view of the accident scene. (Source: CSX.)

NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on CSX Conductor Trainee Fatality

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report for the investigation of the Aug. 6 accident involving a CSX conductor trainee fatally injured during a shoving movement at the CSX railroad yard in Cumberland, Md. The agency said future activity will focus on CSX employee training and close clearance identification practices of the standing locomotives.

The intersection of Island Avenue and Woodland Avenue in Philadelphia, where SEPTA trolley 9107 derailed on July 27 and struck an SUV and the Blue Bell Inn. (NTSB)

NTSB: Brakes on Trolley Involved in SEPTA Derailment Disabled to Allow for Repairs  

A preliminary report on the derailment of a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) trolley issued on Aug. 21 by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that the brakes on trolley 9107, which, on July 27, derailed and struck an SUV and a restaurant, had been disabled on the day of the accident to allow for air compressor replacement.

PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown

PHMSA Eyes Rail Safety Rule to Aid First Responders in Hazmat Incidents (UPDATED Aug. 15)

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on June 21 reported proposing a new rule that would require all railroads to “always maintain—and update in real-time—accurate, electronic information about rail hazmat shipments in a train consist that would be accessible to authorized emergency response personnel.” On Aug. 15, the government agency extended the comment period for that proposal.

Pictured (left to right): William Thomas (Tom) McMurry Jr., National Transportation Safety Board; Rob Nash, Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois; Alejandro Solis, HDR; and Benjamin Allen, Holland & Knight.

People News: NTSB, RTA, HDR, Holland & Knight

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) appoints a General Counsel and a Director for the Office of Research and Engineering. Also, there is a new Director, Government Affairs at the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Northeastern Illinois; leader for HDR’s Transportation Economics and Statistics Services practice; and Litigation Section Partner at global law firm Holland & Knight.

NTSB-provided photographs from the July 6, 2023, Norfolk Southern derailment in Virginia: Derailed gondola cars (left) and a wheelset with a burned-off bearing (right) from unit coal train 814V404. (Sources: NS, left; Federal Railroad Administration, right.)

NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on NS Coal Train Derailment

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report for the investigation of Norfolk Southern’s (NS) July 6, 2023, coal train derailment near Elliston, Va. The agency said future activity will focus on the wheelset and reconditioned bearings of the 71st railcar of the 105-car train; NS’s use of hot bearing detectors (HBD); and NS’s operating rules for defective equipment detectors.

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