Two CSX trains collide head-on in Virginia
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. – Two CSX freight trains collided head-on early today (Sept. 22) in Southampton County, leaving several people injured and at least some of the wrecked rail cars burning, state police told the Virginian Pilot.
The wreck occurred about 3 a.m. along a rail line between Newsoms and Boykins, southwest of Franklin and north of the North Carolina state line.
Police, fire and rescue crews from around the area were on the scene this morning.
Sgt. D.S. Carr, a state police spokesman, said there were injuries reported, but it was not immediately known how seriously hurt the people were. It also was unclear if the injured were limited to personnel on the trains or if any civilians in the area were hurt.
The train wreck was along a line of track that runs parallel to Va. Route 671 and was blocking at least two roads, Va. routes 650 and 35, said Tiffany Elliot, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation. She said there was no way to know this morning how quickly the roads would reopen
The speed of the trains at the time of the collision was not immediately known.
Carr said he believed the trains were hauling rock.
The National Transportation Safety Board was being alerted to investigate the wreck.
(This item appeared in the Virginian Pilot Sept. 22, 2005.)
If that’s the accident I saw on CNN this morning, they stated 6 people hurt. Looked pretty bad as far as the wreckage is concerned.
Here is one of the pics from the wreck site…
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=119942
And another…
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=119940
I learned of the cause of this horrific accident, but I’ll wait until CSX releases something on it first. Let’s just say it makes me a little more alert at the dispatching desk.
Pictures like that just send chills up my spine. How anyone could survive a wreck like that is anyone’s guess. Sighhh… my thoughts are with the families of those affected.
This is straight from the big man at CSX…from CSX website.
Hello, this is Michael Ward.
Many of you have heard that yesterday morning, two CSXT trains collided in southeast Virginia. Today, I want to give you an update on the condition of our six fellow employees who were on those trains and share with you what we know about the accident.
First, I’m relieved to tell you that, of the six crew members who were on board the trains involved in the accident, three were treated and released from the hospital by yesterday afternoon.
The other three employees remain in local hospitals and are currently being treated for various injuries, none of which are life threatening. Division leaders from the Florence Division have traveled to the area to provide comfort and assistance to these employees and their families.
The two trains involved in the accident were rock trains that travel a route across southeast Virginia. CSX and federal officials are on the scene now to learn more about the accident.
I ask that each of you keep these fellow employees in your thoughts and prayers. I also urge everyone to stay focused on your safety and the safety of your fellow employees today and every day.
Thanks for listening, have a safe, productive day, and I’ll talk to you again next week.
At least the crews are ok. [bow]
I’m glad that there were no hazmats after more importantly relieved that the crews will be O.k.
Anybody know why there was a head-on collision? Is that dark territory too?
Yes it was on dark territory, and the cause was based on that both trains thought that they had an absolute block on the same piece of railroad.
That most certainly is not good at all. That was or I should say is a very costly mistake made by the dispatcher. I honestly don’t know whats going to happen to him during the course of the investigation. Well once again I have to send my Blessings and good graces to the families and the crew members suffering through this horrific accident.
Sarah,
Yes, the dispatcher will most likely be in for it. If proper radio procedures were used the accident could have been prevented. And when issuing track authority (DTC blocks via EC-1) the conductor name and engine initials/number must be used. Last time I checked no two trains are going to have the exact same conductor and engines on them.
Here’s how the track would have been given to a train on my territory. CSX IB dispatcher calling K85822 over. CSX K85822 answering IB dispatcher over. K85822 I have an EC-1 when you are ready to copy over. K85822 IB disp we are ready to copy over. Then I’d give the EC-1… EC-1 # 123, dated today’s date 09/22/05, location CP99, C&E train ID K85822, Engine CSXT 7755, copied by conductor Smith. Circle line 1, operate on single track, north direction between CP99 and Well, over. Then, the train crew reads it back word for word to me, I’d give an OK time and my initials. If done that way there’s really now way that two seperate trains would think they had authority to occupy the same block.
Sure looks like a big mess. I am glad though that nobody was killed because of this accident. It sounds like NS and CSX will need to invest in installing signals in these “dark” territories to try and prevent wrecks like this one from happening.
Also, what was the speed of these two trains?
In my opinion, trains traveling in dark territory under no signal supervision need to go no faster than 30 mph and the crews need to be very cautious and alert in case they run across another train. Going slower would have given them enough time to slam into emergency and possibly jump off the train to avoid being crushed to death.
I have had some experience in dispatching territory that I can’t see from a modeling perspective. DCC with only single track, you end up having to write down things and make plenty of sticky notes and post them all over the place and do a lot of radio confirmations with the “crews”. Now I did it because I hate to fail; not because of risking an accident which could result in deaths (no risk of that).
If I can figure that out, what happened with the dispatcher? I’m not going assume I could do a better job but I have to wonder why the dispatcher would make that kind of mistake with the trainning he or she received?
Junction,
Some folks tend to get a little lax in their jobs and tend to subvert the rules. In this case the outcome was severe and it should remind all of us to take our jobs more seriously.