Cell Phone Cited in Train Crash

A report from the USA's National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the engineer of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) coal train was distracted by making a cell phone call when he was supposed to be stopping his train and caused a head-on collision with a BNSF intermodal train, carrying hundreds of metal cargo containers. The engineer of the intermodal train was killed in the collision after he jumped from the train, but was hit by debris from the crash.

The Safety Board cited the probable cause in its report on a May 28, 2002 collision of an eastbound BNSF coal train and a westbound BNSF intermodal train near Clarendon, Texas. Also noted in the probable cause was the train conductor's failure to ensure that the engineer complied with track warrant restrictions.

Through its investigation the Safety Board determined that the coal train engineer was talking on his cell phone when his train passed the stopping point indicated in the track warrant. The Board concluded that the engineer's cell phone use likely distracted him and he did not take proper note of the after-arrival stipulation and therefore did not stop his train.

As a result the Board issued a recommendation to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to amend regulations to control the use of cell phones and other personal wireless devices by railroad operators while on duty. "Safety is the primary responsibility of any vehicle operator and this responsibility demands the full and undivided attention of the person at the controls," said Chairman Ellen Engleman when reading the Board's recommendation, "Issuing these recommendations is not enough - implementation is the key."

Posted to the site on 9th June 2003