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The report on the investigation into the derailment of Amtrak Train #188 in North Philadelphia last spring was released yesterday, and can perhaps best be described as "inconclusive".
I'm posting a links to a condensed version of the report, and to a forum where the findings are discussed in detail among those with exposure to / familiarity with daily life in the railroad industry.
Current discussion on the accident at railroad.net begins at p.76.
As this post was being written, the NTSB web site appears to be under revision, so I've added a link to a professionally-oriented rail track & signal maintenance web site:
The engineer should know every inch of the line that he or she is running on and for this engineer to be distracted by radio chatter about another train being hit by something is ridiculous.
There is no reason that train should have been traveling that fast at that point in its journey and a good qualified engineer would have known that.
There are so many safe guards built into trains these days that it always comes down to human error that causes them to crash.
Inconclusive maybe but I think it more of a cop out.
I heard something on the news last Tuesday that said if the train was equipped with a certain computer system this would have not happened BUT it's been delayed by Congress to implement this?
That sounds like lobbyist are paying off congress officials to keep this from happening because it would cost the industry millions of dollars.
I heard something on the news last Tuesday that said if the train was equipped with a certain computer system this would have not happened BUT it's been delayed by Congress to implement this?
That sounds like lobbyist are paying off congress officials to keep this from happening because it would cost the industry millions of dollars.
Does that sound right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd
I think it sounded like a cop out.
The engineer should know every inch of the line that he or she is running on and for this engineer to be distracted by radio chatter about another train being hit by something is ridiculous.
There is no reason that train should have been traveling that fast at that point in its journey and a good qualified engineer would have known that. .
The system which is being implemented is referred to as Positive Train Control (PTC). It has been under private sector development for over 15 years, but was originally intended for the longer train lengths, heavier weights and slower speeds of a freight operation. Modifying this, (which was mandated by the Federal Railroad Administration after a commuter-train accident at Chatsworth, CA, in 2007) meant nearly a complete redesign; it was reportedly due for installation in the area at the time of the accident, but I'll have to research its current status.
The line in question is publicly-owned; Amtrak also provides a uniform set of rules, signalling and traffic control for the local commuter train operators who share the lines. It sees no freight service except for a couple of industrial customers who have no other alternative; these are only served during the overnight hours.
Between New York and Washington, an engineer will have to acknowledge at least 100 trackside signals -- probably more, and the number of "interlocking plants" or "control points" has increased by at least 25% since service began in the early Seventies. That figure can actually be doubled, since Engineer Bostian was assigned to what is known as a "fast turn" -- New York to Washington, several hours layover, and a return trip. So we're talking at least a 10-hour day, and probably longer.
At one time, engineers were expected to memorize the location of every lineside signal on those lines to which they were assigned and qualified -- and in relation to a specific bridge, fill, cut or curve -- nothing that can be moved, burned down or repainted. Can't attest that this is still in effect, but the Amtrak main line also has "cab signals" which repeat the signal's aspect on a console in the cab. Unfortunately, they can't be programmed for specific speeds -- a "clear block" is a "clear block".
The term "disoriented by radio chatter" is an oversimplification, Casual conversation is strictly prohibited by the FCC, and rock throwing -- some of it as severe as dropping or suspending cinder blocks from overpasses. has been a problem in urban ares like North Philly since the service began. So crews routinely warn each other of such incidents. Mr. Bostian was specifically cleared of using his personal cell phone, and of any drug use, early in the investigation.
After a lot of years trying unsuccessfully due to vision issues, I managed to spend a year in various operating rail capacities while well into my forties. I can attest that it's not for everybody; most challenging is the point that a job can be done correctly, and under strict micro-management for many years, but absolute perfection is still required. If you're not an obsessive-compulsive when you hire on, you are likely to become one.
There is, indeed, a cop-out under way here, but its Amtrak management which is in full "CYA" mode (though in fairness, no one is simply being "thrown under the bus" -- or train).
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 05-19-2016 at 02:30 PM..
2nd trick op - thank you for your post. A very long time ago I was allowed to ride in the cab of a locomotive. I noted that in those days there was, just like on a highway, a speed limit sign before each corner as well as speed designations for the tangents between curves. I can understand a recently assigned engineer not memorizing every switch, corner and grade crossing but over speeding a curve by over 100% seems strange even with my inexperience.
When I am driving on unfamiliar roads I pay attention to the speed limit signs before blind curves. I use these a guides to set my own speed depending on which car I am driving and the road and weather conditions. I would think a train engineer would do the same.
Bostian told investigators after the wreck that he remembered radio traffic from a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train operator who said a rock had shattered his windshield. He was monitoring the radio traffic until about a minute before his Amtrak train reached 106 mph, said Steve Jenner, another NTSB investigator.
“The Amtrak train passed the disabled SEPTA train operating at or near track speed,” Jenner said. “After he passed the train, the Amtrak engineer continued to pay attention to the radio communications between a SEPTA engineer and the dispatcher that lasted for a few minutes.”
The engineer’s full-throttle acceleration would have made sense for someone who thought he had already passed the curve, Jenner said. After the curve, the tracks open up into a straightaway with a speed limit of 110 mph.
“With his attention diverted to the SEPTA train, the Amtrak engineer may have lost situational awareness,” Jenner said.
Bostian, who has been suspended without pay since the crash for speeding, did not attend the hearing. His attorney didn’t return an email sent Monday seeking comment.
So basically what the government is saying is we have one large "driving a train while distracted" event. So engrossed in the reports of rocks being thrown at another train the engineer didn't realize where he was and hit the "gas" so to speak.
Said engineer while still employed by Amtrak remains suspended without pay as noted above. Railroad engineers have a pretty strong union so there is a pretty good chance when all is said and done the guy returns to the cab.
If an engineer doesn't have the competence to focus on all aspects of his job, instead speeds up into a curve and kills 8, he should never work this type of job again.
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