RAB/98-15

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Railroad Accident Brief Report

ATL 97 FR 002

EMPLOYEE FATALITY

NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION

SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY

NOVEMBER 27, 1996

On Wednesday, November 27, 1996, at about 6:07 a.m., eastern

standard time, a westbound National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)

passenger train 101, operating on eastward track No. 1 over the Metropolitan

Division at a recorded speed of 86 mph, struck and fatally injured an Amtrak

maintenance-of-way employee (flagman) at milepost (MP) 4.84 in Secaucus,

New Jersey. Reported weather conditions were broken overcast skies, windy

and cold with an ambient temperature of 25 ° F. Visibility was restricted due to

early dawn.

The three-member traincrew reported for duty at 5:20 a.m., at their

assigned location in Penn Station in New York City. The train departed Penn

Station at its scheduled time of 6:00 a.m. The crew consisted of an engineer

who was operating the train from the lead locomotive, a conductor, and an

assistant conductor who were riding in the passenger cars. No derailment or

damage to the train equipment occurred as a result of the accident. Neither the

passengers nor the crewmembers of train 101 sustained any injuries.

The train consisted of one locomotive, Engine 921, and seven Amfleet

type passenger cars. No anomalies were noted or reported during the initial

terminal air brake test that had been performed on the train earlier. All safety

and operational equipment on the train was reported to be functioning properly

before the train departed Penn Station.

The train was operating west on track No. 1, on a clear signal aspect at a

speed of 86 mph when the accident occurred. Although the train was operating

westbound on the eastbound main track, this type of operation was not new to

the flagman. This operation had been in progress for as long as 3 weeks prior to

the accident, and had taken place the day before on the shift this employee was

working.

As part of the New York Zone Construction - Secaucus Transfer Project,

caissons were being installed. A contractor’s survey crew was assigned to
2

measure track settlement prior to the full work crew starting the work shift. A

three-man Amtrak crew, which consisted of a track foreman and two flagmen,

was assigned to provide flag protection for this part of the project. The flagman

assigned to work with the survey crew reported to the work location on the north

side of the main tracks at 5:30 a.m., and found that a piece of machinery that

had broken down was blocking the access route. The north side was the

customary access route the flagman used to reach the work site, via a stairway

and path on the north side of the right-of-way. He was scheduled to report to

work 1/2 hour prior to the surveyors’ starting time. This would allow him time to

attend a job briefing and be prepared to furnish flagging protection to the three

contractor surveyors performing work in the area. The surveyors’ starting time

was scheduled for 6:00 a.m.

When the flagman found the north side access entrance blocked, he

directed the surveyors to the south side of the embankment and rode with them

in their vehicle to the south side. The survey crew stated they noticed that the

flagman was wearing work attire that included a safety vest, hard hat, and hat

liner when he rode in their vehicle to the south side of the embankment. When

they arrived at the south side the flagman exited the vehicle and walked from the

roadway to the stairway. They stated that they saw him as he started up the

stairway, but then directed their attention on getting ready for their duties.

In order for the flagman to get to the track area, he walked up a stairway

that only reached from the bottom of the embankment to within 15 feet of the

top. The remaining climb was on dirt and rock ballast, and the end of the ties

was the only level area the flagman had to stand on after reaching the top of the

embankment. The surveyors were near their vehicle at the bottom of the

embankment and did not witness the accident. They reported that a few

moments after they saw the flagman start up the stairway, they heard a

watchman’s whistle, looked up toward the track, heard a thud and saw some

type of movement but could not determine if it was a person. A few moments

later they observed the flagman laying on the south shoulder of track No. 1.

 The engineer stated that as he approached the area where the accident

occurred, he observed an object next to the track just moments before impact

and did not have time to sound the locomotive’s horn.

PROBABLE CAUSE

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable

cause of this accident was the unsafe condition presented by the inadequate

construction of the stairway leading to the right-of-way of the high-speed main

track. The stairway did not provide the flagman a safe location to observe the

track for approaching trains.

Adopted: August 18, 1998