Railroad Accident Report - Derailment of St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company (Cotton Belt) Freight Train Extra 4835 North and Release of Hazardous Materials near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, June 9, 1985

摘要

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes of the accident were (1) the failure of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company to destress and adequately anchor the track to retard longitudinal movement at Bridge 272.14 as required by its rules, after disturbing the track in hot weather; and (2) the excessive speed and consequential heavy braking of Extra 4835 North on a downgrade approaching the accident location, which compounded the longitudinal stresses imposed on the track structure by heat. Contributing to the accident was the St. Louis Southwestern Railway's failure to adequately enforce the speed restrictions imposed on trains operating over its Pine Bluff sub-division.