National Transportation Safety Board Railroad Accident Report: Collision andDerailment of Maryland Commuter MARC Train 286 and National Railroad Passenger Corporation AMTRAK Train 29 Near Silver Spring, Maryland on February 16, 1996

摘要

On February 16, 1996, Maryland Rail Commuter (MARC) train 286 collided withNational Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) passenger train 29 near Silver Spring, Maryland. All 3 CSXT operating crewmembers and 8 of the 20 passengers on MARC train 286 were killed in the derailment and subsequent fire. Eleven passengers on MARC train 286 and 15 of the 182 crewmembers and passengers on Amtrak train 29 were injured. The major safety issues discussed in the report are the performance and responsibility of the MARC train 286 crewmembers, the oversight of CSXT signal system modifications, the Federal oversight of commuter rail operations, the lack of positive train separation control systems, and the adequacy of passenger care safety standards and emergency preparedness. In addition, the Safety Board examined the use of the reverser during an emergency brake application, the effectiveness of the computer-aided train dispatching recordkeeping, the crashworthiness of locomotive fuel tanks, and the contents of the CSXT and MARC operating agreement.