On Friday, November 30, 2012, at 7:02 a.m. eastern standard time, southbound Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) freight train FC4230, consisting of 2 locomotives and 82 cars, derailed 7 cars, the 6th through the 12th cars, at milepost (MP) 13.7 on the main track on the Conrail Penns Grove Secondary Subdivision in Paulsboro, New Jersey. The derailment occurred as the train traveled over the Paulsboro moveable bridge at a speed that did not exceed 8 mph (see figure 1). Civil twilight began at 6:33 a.m., and sunrise was at 7:03 a.m. At the time of the accident, the sky was cloudy, the wind was calm, and the temperature was 34°F.
Related Images:
Chairman Hersman receives a briefing on Friday's bridge collapse, train derailment and hazardous materials release in Paulsboro, NJ. |
Media briefing Sunday December 2 on the investigation into the bridge collapse, derailment and haz-mat release in Paulsboro, New Jersey. |
Investigator In Charge (IIC) Jim Southworth and NTSB investigative team at site of train derailment in Paulsboro, New Jersey. |
NTSB holds media briefing Monday December 3 on N.J. train derailment and hazmat release. |
Chairman Hersman briefs Paulsboro officials, incl Mayor Hamilton, on status of the investigation into train accident. |
Investigators look at instruments in a locomotive involved in today's train derailment in Paulsboro, NJ. |
Rail Investigator Mike Hiller examines one of the trains involved in today's accident in Paulsboro, NJ. |
Scene photo of today's bridge collapse, train derailment & haz-mat release in Paulsboro, NJ. |
IIC Jim Southworth on the scene of the Paulsboro, NJ train derailment and hazmat release. |
NTSB investigative team discussing the Paulsboro, NJ train derailment and hazmat release. |
NTSB hazmat specialists Paul Stancil and Muhamed El-Zoghbi discussing the release of hazardous material in Paulsboro, NJ. |
Recorder specialist George Haralampopoulos prepares to remove a recorder from a locmotive involved in the derailment. |
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| Antion Downs taking photos on the scene of the Paulsboro, NJ train derailment and hazmat release. | Police Chief Chris Wachter discussing the Paulsboro, NJ train derailment with Chairman Hersman. | Cresence Stafford, Muhamed El-Zoghbi, and Shannon Bennett on the scene of the Paulsboro, NJ train derailment and hazmat release. |
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We determined that the probable cause of the derailment and subsequent hazardous material release at the Paulsboro moveable bridge was Consolidated Rail Corporation (1) allowing the train to proceed past the red signal aspect with the rail slide locks not fully engaged, which allowed the bridge to rotate and misalign the running rails as the train moved across it, and (2) relying on a training and qualification program that did not prepare the train crew to examine the bridge lock system.
Contributing to the accident was the lack of a comprehensive safety management program that would have identified and mitigated the risks associated with the continued operation of the bridge despite multiple bridge malfunctions of increasing frequency. Contributing to the consequences of the accident was the failure of the incident commander to implement established hazardous materials response protocols for worker protection and community exposure to the vinyl chloride release.
We made recommendations to the Consolidated Rail Corporation, the US Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Association of American Railroads, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, International Association of Fire Chief, the National Volunteer Fire Council, the New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency Management, the New Jersey Bureau of Fire Department Services, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the New Jersey Department of Health.
