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NS locomotives collide in Georgia
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
This was NS 208 and NS G23 on the Savannah District. Hoping the crew will be okay.
Wishing the crews a speedy recovery. Could PTC have prevented this? Will this line eventually be so equipped?
Two crew were transported to Medical College of Georgia in Augusta,Ga.
Two other crew members were transported to hospital in Sandersville, Ga.
According to TV station WJBF in Augusta.
http://wjbf.com/2015/08/07/developing-on-6-four-injured-after-trains-collide-in-washington-county/
WRDW Reported Saturday that one crew member was in serious condition in hospital. They also quoted the Sheriffs Dept as saying a switch was left open.
http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Train-derailment-reported-with-injuries-in-Washington-County-321061901.html?device=tablet&c=y
Is the main line at Tennille, Ga., also in Washington County? That’s about 3 miles from Sandersville, the county seat. Did the wreck happen at Sandersville or could it have happened at Tennille? Does anybody know? At one time the main line bypassed Sandersville.
I hope that no fatal injuries were found with the locomotive engineers and that they recover soon.
I hope Trains misunderstood Mr. Harris. He should know that NS doesn’t go to or through Sandersville.
The cause was the dispatcher giving a track warrant to the stack trains for it to meet two locals, and adding the words ’ do not depart until …" There was later confusion by the crew of the stack train as it left after the first local passed and then crashed into the second local at a combined speed over 50+mph. The engineer was on a personal cell phone conversation at the same moments his conductor was receiving the track warrant from the dispatcher.
For greater safety on dark territory, the dispatcher should only have given the track warrant for the stack train to meet the opposing local, and then request a call for additional authority. The dispatcher would then issue the track warrant for the second local meet order and authority to continue east. This accident happened account the attempt to reduce the dispatchers involvement and staff. Trying to save his time by including two trains in the same meet order left it open for the crew to miss the fact that there were two trains in the meet order. And the crew must read and review the orders together and fully study them. When there is less to study, there is less room for error. Cell phones must be locked in their bag the entire time on duty. Data from NS Train Master review with crews, but NS has not agreed with the dispatcher being in error. Its not only a crew error, but dispatching methods need change.