Amtrak/CSX Collision in South Carolina

[TheOldDessauer]

From: Fox News.com

Amtrak, CSX train collision in South Carolina leaves 2 dead, over 100 injured, officials say

Two Amtrak personnel were killed and over 100 others were injured when an Amtrak passenger train collided with a parked CSX freight train early Sunday just outside the capital of South Carolina, officials said.

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division said Amtrak 91 was traveling from New York to Miami when it collided with the CSX train in Pine Ridge around 2:35 a.m.

“It appears to me that the CSX train was on the track it was supposed to be on,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said at a news conference. “It appears Amtrak was on the wrong track. That’s what it appears to me.”

Amtrak said in a statement the train's lead engine derailed, as did some passenger cars that was carrying eight crew members and approximately 139 passengers on board. TV footage from the crash scene showed the aftermath of the collision, with the Amtrak engine on its side and its front crumpled.

McMaster said the two people killed in the crash were Amtrak personnel and 116 people were taken to area hospitals. Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher identified the two victims of Amtrak crash as engineer Michael Kempf, 54, and conductor Michael Cella, 36. Fisher said that several people remain in critical condition.

"We have anywhere from scratches and bumps to more severe broken bones," Lexington County spokesman Harrison Cahill told reporters.

"It appears to me that the CSX train was on the track it was supposed to be on. It appears Amtrak was on the wrong track. That’s what it appears to me.”
- South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster

McMaster said the first engine of the freight train was "torn up," while the engine on the Amtrak train is "barely recognizable." The governor added that no one was on the CSX train at the time of the crash, and the Amtrak train was estimated to be going 59 mph.

"Two trains, that's as forceful as can get," he said, adding that "I would ask this is a Sunday, everyone go to church and say a prayer for these people involved."

In its statement, Amtrak it is cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation.

Latest update regarding train 91 derailment incident: https://t.co/c8xHxBsNmY pic.twitter.com/nOW5kjxzX4
— Amtrak (@Amtrak) February 4, 2018

"CSX owns and controls the Columbia Subdivision where the accident occurred," Amtrak said. "CSX maintains all of the tracks and signal systems. CSX controls the dispatching of all trains, including directing the signal systems which control the access to sidings and yards."

Hospital officials told Fox News they have received nearly 90 patients from the crash, but most of which have been discharged already. Lexington Medical Center spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson said the facility received 27 patients from the crash, all of which had "minor injuries" and since been discharged.

Derailed Amtrak cars after a train traveling from New York to Miami collided with a CSX freight train in South Carolina. (FOX News)

A spokesperson from Palmetto Health said they received 62 patients as a result of the crash at three of their facilities. The health care network said there are two patients that are expected to be admitted, but most are expected to be released after they are evaluated and treated.
Bryan reports on the South Carolina crash after governor shared update with the public. Video
Two Amtrak crew members killed in train collision

"The thoughts of all our team members are with the family and friends of those injured in this accident," Palmetto Health spokesperson Tammie Epps said. "Palmetto Health is coordinating with local authorities, Amtrak and the American Red Cross to assist these families in any way possible."

No immediate information was available about the CSX train, but SCMED Public Information Officer Derrec Becker told reporters that officials are working to secure a fuel leak that resulted from the spill.

AMTRAK'S DEADLIEST CRASHES IN RECENT YEARS

As of now, 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel has spilled and crews are trying to secure the leak, according to Becker.
SC Map

The Amtrak train collided with a CSX freight train in Cayce, located just outside Columbia. (FOX News)

"There is no danger to anyone in the nearby area of Lexington County," Becker told "FOX & friends Weekend."

Amtrak officials gathered up luggage and other belongings and within hours put passengers aboard buses to their destinations. Before being sent on their way, those who were not hurt were taken to a shelter, and local businesses provided coffee and breakfast.

Individuals with questions regarding passengers on train 91 can contact us at 1.800.523.9101
— Amtrak (@Amtrak) February 4, 2018

Amtrak said that anyone with questions regarding passengers on the train can contact them at 1-800-523-9101.

South Carolina's Red Cross chapter tweeted that emergency responders were at the scene. The people who weren't hurt were taken in patrol cars to a shelter, Lexington County Sheriff's spokesman Adam Myrick said.

.@RedCrossSC disaster trained volunteers and staff are responding. #scnews https://t.co/YCDfXQUcLp
— Red Cross S.Carolina (@RedCrossSC) February 4, 2018

"We know they are shaken up quite a bit. We know this is like nothing else they have ever been through. So we wanted to get them out of the cold, get them out of the weather - get them to a warm place," Myrick said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was launching a "Go Team" to investigate the deadly crash and plans a press conference for later in the day.

NTSB Go Team launching to investigate today’s collision of an Amtrak train and CSX freight train, near Cayce, SC.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) February 4, 2018

NTSB on scene of South Carolina Amtrak-CSX train collision. pic.twitter.com/oubbUFg28J
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) February 4, 2018

President Trump tweeted about the crash on Sunday, saying "my thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims involved in this mornings train collision in South Carolina. Thank you to our incredible First Responders for the work they’ve done!"

My thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims involved in this mornings train collision in South Carolina. Thank you to our incredible First Responders for the work they’ve done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2018

Trump was briefed on the train accident and is receiving regular updates, according to Deputy White House Press Secretary Lindsay Walters.

This is the third Amtrak crash since December. On Dec. 18, an Amtrak train derailed in Washington state, killing three people and injuring dozens more. Just last week, one person in a truck died when an Amtrak crash carrying Republican members of Congress struck the vehicle at a crossing. Two other people in the vehicle were severely injured.

Fox News’ Bryan Llenas, Lucas Tomlinson, Terace Garnier, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Travis Fedschun is a reporter for FoxNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @travfed


Dispatcher error?

Thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families: and a big "Thank You" to the first responders.

[JohnS]

It's signaled territory so even if the dispatcher put the train on the wrong tracks way side signals would have shown that the track was occupied by the progression of signals.

[TheOldDessauer]

From: Trains Newswire

UPDATE: NTSB: Misaligned switch directed 'Silver Star' into parked CSX autorack train

By R G Edmonson, Steve Sweeney | February 4, 2018



COLUMBIA, S.C. — The head of the National Transportation Safety Board says a misaligned switch is the immediate reason Amtrak’s southbound Silver Star collided with a parked CSX Transportation freight train early Sunday, killing two people and injuring dozens. Investigators say they’ll now try and find out why the switch was misaligned.

NTSB Chariman Robert L. Sumwalt III told media in a Sunday afternoon news conference that a manual switch was aligned and locked in position for a siding off the CSX Transportation main line near Cayce, S.C. The alignment led the New York City to Miami Silver Star into a CSX autorack train that was parked on a siding.

One locomotive and seven passenger cars collided with the freight train of 34 empty autoracks and two locomotives. The allowable maximum speed for the main line in the area is 59 mph. Eight Amtrak employees were on the train at the time, and 116 of 136 passengers were treated for injuries. There is no information on whether a CSX crew was present.

Officials identified the victims as engineer Michael Kempf, 54, of Savannah, Ga., and conductor Michael Cella, 36, of Jacksonville, Fla.

A CSX representative, in a statement to the media, said that the freight railroad will cooperate with investigators.

“Our sincere condolences go out to the families of the two individuals who passed away following the tragic events that took place in Cayce, S.C., early this morning,” the CSX representative said. “We remain focused on providing assistance and support to those impacted by today’s incident.”

According to Sumwalt and other sources, the CSX train had unloaded vehicles at the Total Distribution Services Inc. transload facility in Dixiana, S.C., on the east side of the main line. TDSI is a CSX subsidiary. The train then moved north on the main, and backed into a siding on the west side of the main, where it tied up.

“Key to this investigation is learning why that was switch was lined that way," Sumwalt said. “Because the expectation was that the [Silver Star] would be cleared [on the main line].”

Photos of the crash scene show the lead of two CSX locomotives virtually obliterated. The Amtrak locomotive is on its side. An Amfleet coach directly behind it is off the rails, and the fourth and fifth Amfleet coaches are jacknifed off the track. Sumwalt called the damage “catastrophic.”

Sumwalt said NTSB investigators, assisted by Federal Railroad Administration, and an FBI forensics team will be on the scene for about a week.

“Our goal is to not only find out what happened but why it happened, so we can prevent it from happening again,” Sumwalt said.

The collision at Cayce is southwest of Columbia, the South Carolina state capital. On this stretch of track, the Silver Star rides on CSX’s Columbia Subdivision, formerly the Seaboard Air Line main line.

In a statement on the Amtrak website, passenger railroad officials said that the Silver Star trains 91 and 92 will detour between Hamlet, N.C., and Savannah, Ga., until further notice. Officials say the Auto Train, Palmetto, and Silver Meteors are operating normally.

UPDATED: New lead sentence; detail of the accidents; and comments from CSX Transportation, Amtrak, and the NTSB. Feb. 4, 2018, 6:46 p.m. Central time.

Cayce, S.C.

[buzz456]

I'm going to ask a ignorant question. Doesn't the signal change if the switch was turned?

[GSkid]

Here is an overhead view.



Those guys in the Amtrak cab didn’t have a chance. I’m curious if they even had a chance to throw the train into emergency. We will see once the recorder data is analyzed.

[BNSFdude]

I'm going to ask a ignorant question. Doesn't the signal change if the switch was turned?

Supposedly running under a suspended signal system. Which would mean the train was running under a pseudo-TWC authority which assumes all switches on the main have been lined and locked in the normal position.

[buzz456]

Supposedly there was a signal suspension and they were running on a EC-1 form.

[JohnS]

Correct. Signal system was out of service for maintenance. They "believe" a switch was left open after a maintenance crew left the area.

[dejoh]

Found this: Very unfortunate accident.
It's not my place to run the train The whistle I can't blow. It's not my place to say how far The train's allowed to go. It's not my place to shoot off steam Nor even clang the bell. But let the dern thing jump the track And see who catches hell.
It might take a year to find out the official cause.

[OldProf]

More news and speculation (mostly the latter) appears every day about self-driving road vehicles, but I've yet to see or hear anything about self-driving trains (AI, in other words). Would that be a possibility? Of course, the concept of self-driving road vehicles does not make sense unless all vehicles are self driven; the same, I imagine, would be true of trains. In this case, apparently, a manual switch, probably set to allow that freight to enter the siding, had not been reset to facilitate main line traffic. A self-driving train would have, supposedly, either "known" well in advance that the switch was incorrectly positioned and either reset it or stopped in time to avoid a collision; of course, that would require electronically controlled switches as well. I'm just imagining all of this, but is there any such system in the pipeline? Expensive infrastructure would rear its nasty head as usual, but I'd far rather see money spent on automating trains than on building useless cement & steel "curtains".

[JohnS]

More news and speculation (mostly the latter) appears every day about self-driving road vehicles, but I've yet to see or hear anything about self-driving trains (AI, in other words). Would that be a possibility? Of course, the concept of self-driving road vehicles does not make sense unless all vehicles are self driven; the same, I imagine, would be true of trains. In this case, apparently, a manual switch, probably set to allow that freight to enter the siding, had not been reset to facilitate main line traffic. A self-driving train would have, supposedly, either "known" well in advance that the switch was incorrectly positioned and either reset it or stopped in time to avoid a collision; of course, that would require electronically controlled switches as well. I'm just imagining all of this, but is there any such system in the pipeline? Expensive infrastructure would rear its nasty head as usual, but I'd far rather see money spent on automating trains than on building useless cement & steel "curtains".

Newark Airport and Disney I think have automated Monorails so it at least has been done on a small scale. PATH in NJ to Philadelphia is automated as well but has a motormen at each control station in case of software failure.

[buzz456]

There is a lot of guessing and opinion here but let's stick with the facts and then ask the logical questions. Fact appears to be the switch was set to the siding. Fact the section was under signal maintenance. Fact traffic was being controlled by dispatch. So it would seem to me to be who set the switch to the siding? It's unlikely it was the train crew unless they backed the train into the siding which I doubt. Why was the Amtrak train allowed to run with no speed restriction in a dark section? Is this normal?

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

More news and speculation (mostly the latter) appears every day about self-driving road vehicles, but I've yet to see or hear anything about self-driving trains (AI, in other words). Would that be a possibility? Of course, the concept of self-driving road vehicles does not make sense unless all vehicles are self driven; the same, I imagine, would be true of trains. In this case, apparently, a manual switch, probably set to allow that freight to enter the siding, had not been reset to facilitate main line traffic. A self-driving train would have, supposedly, either "known" well in advance that the switch was incorrectly positioned and either reset it or stopped in time to avoid a collision; of course, that would require electronically controlled switches as well. I'm just imagining all of this, but is there any such system in the pipeline? Expensive infrastructure would rear its nasty head as usual, but I'd far rather see money spent on automating trains than on building useless cement & steel "curtains".

Newark Airport and Disney I think have automated Monorails so it at least has been done on a small scale. PATH in NJ to Philadelphia is automated as well but has a motormen at each control station in case of software failure.

There are several driverless metro/subway systems in operation all over the world.
But like the monorails mentioned they are closed circuit transportation systems on a dedicated right of way without grade crossings etc.

Driverless trains on ordinary railroad that is even unfenced and has platforms w/o 'person in the tracks' protection, overpasses w/o 'vandals throwing fridges on the tracks' protection or grade crossings w/o 'car stuck on the tracks' protecting will never be driverless. Would you trust your life and wellbeing to such a mode of transport?

Even that ultra high speed supposedly 1000% safe Maglev in Germany was brought to a fatal crash because of human neglicence, i.e. leaving maintenance cart in the tracks.

[GSkid]

While this is most likely an accident, it does illustrate how easy it would be to sabotage a train. One would only need to take some bolt cutters to a switch’s padlock and throw it just before a speeding train has a chance to react or stop in time. We had the 1995 Palo Verde, Arizona derailment due to sabatage. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened more considering the threats in the world we have today, let alone stuff that was human error or equipment failure. It just shows how vulnerable trains are in general.

You know with the speed, weight and momentum the train had, I would have thought it would have gotten at least a little further past the CSX locomotives then it did. Do these P42s have anti-climb mechanisms like the freight locos? Maybe at such high speeds they are of limited effectiveness considering it’s cab was obliterated.

[JOHNtheREDNECK]

You know with the speed, weight and momentum the train had, I would have thought it would have gotten at least a little further past the CSX locomotives then it did. Do these P42s have anti-climb mechanisms like the freight locos? Maybe at such high speeds they are of limited effectiveness considering it’s cab was obliterated.

I know anti-climbers exist on f40ph's (and all of their variants). I think they are required by law. I'm pretty sure they are incorporated into the p42dc's somehow, probably just covered up with sheet metal to blend into the rest of the car body. Either way, with an Amtrak going around 50mph it's not going to be helped much with anti-climbers.