Sunday, August 9, 2015

Probable cause of the deadly Amtra train accident was that the signal helper was occupying main track 1 without securing on-track protection.


 


 


National Passenger Rail Corporation Maintenance-of-Way Employee Fatality

Executive Summary

On October 29, 2014, at 10:56 a.m. eastern daylight time, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) train A280 struck and killed an Amtrak signal helper. Earlier that morning, the Amtrak employee had provided protection for a contractor who was installing cable earlier near milepost 100.9 in Clermont, New York.

At the time of the accident, the sky was overcast with occasional rain; the temperature was 58° F. There were 128 passengers on board the train.

An engineer and an engineer who was qualifying for a new territory were in the locomotive cab; a conductor and an assistant conductor were in the passenger cars. No one on the train was injured.

Probable Cause

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause of the accident was that the signal helper was occupying main track 1 without securing on-track protection.