On April 17, 2011, about 6:55 a.m. central daylight time, eastbound BNSF Railway (BNSF) coal train C-BTMCNM0-26, BNSF 9159 East, collided with the rear end of standing BNSF maintenance-of-way (MOW) equipment train U-BRGCRI-15, BNSF 9470 East, near Red Oak, Iowa. The accident occurred on a curve near milepost (MP) 448.3 on main track number two (track two) on the Creston Subdivision of the BNSF Nebraska Division. The striking coal train was travelling about 23 mph when it struck the standing MOW equipment train.
As a result of the collision, the two lead locomotives of the striking train derailed along with the first two coal cars. The modular crew cab on the lead locomotive of the striking train was detached, partially crushed, and involved in a subsequent diesel fuel fire. Seven additional coal cars were also damaged but did not derail. The 10 rear cars of the struck train derailed. Both the engineer and the conductor on the striking train were fatally injured in the collision. The crew on the locomotive of the struck train reported non-life-threatening injuries. Damages were estimated at more than $8.7 million. The weather at the time of the accident was reported as 5 miles‘ visibility, with mist at Red Oak airport, which is about 3 1/2 miles east of the accident location.
Event recorder data from the lead locomotive of the striking train indicate that before the collision, train speed increased and the throttle was decreased as the train crested a hill west of the accident site. The last throttle reduction occurred 1 minute 53 seconds before impact. The train‘s brakes were not applied before impact.
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We determined that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the crew of the striking train to comply with the signal indication requiring them to operate in accordance with restricted speed requirements and stop short of the standing train because they had fallen asleep due to fatigue resulting from their irregular work schedules and their medical conditions. Contributing to the accident was the absence of a positive train control system that identifies the rear of a train and stops a following train if a safe braking profile is exceeded. Contributing to the severity of collision damage to the locomotive cab of the striking coal train was the absence of crashworthiness standards for modular locomotive crew cabs.
We made recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration, Association of American Railroads, and BNSF Railway.
