Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Headquarters Assigned Accident Investigation Report HQ-2007-09, Norfolk Southern (NS), Goshen, Indiana, February 21, 2007

摘要

On February 21, 2007, at 12:35 p.m. e.s.t., a Norfolk Southern Railroad (NS) eastbound freight train collided with the side of a westbound NS freight train. The accident occurred in Goshen, Indiana, at NS Milepost 412, on the Chicago Line of the NS Dearborn Subdivision The conductor of the eastbound train, NS 38EB-221, suffered minor injuries. The two locomotives on NS 38EB-221 derailed along with the four head cars in the train and the total damage was estimated at $360,000. There were no injuries to the crew of the westbound train, NS 681BO-21, two cars were side swiped and twelve cars derailed and the total damage was estimated at $469,000. Neither train was transporting hazardous material, and there was no evacuation. There was also $100,000 in track, signal, way & structure damage. At the time of the accident it was daylight and cloudy, with a southwest wind of 5 mph. The temperature was 40F. The accident occurred because the locomotive engineer and the conductor failed to comply with rules and regulations regarding a stop signal indication when they allowed their train, NS 38EB-221, to pass an absolute signal displaying a stop indication at NS Milepost 412 on Main Track No. 2 without authority. Failure to comply with automatic block or interlocking signal displaying stop. Contributing was failure of the crew to comply with restricted speed in connection with the restrictive indication of a block or interlocking signal.