Railway Investigation Report R04t0008 Main-Track
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RAILWAY INVESTIGATION REPORT R04T0008 MAIN-TRACK DERAILMENT CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY TRAIN NO. 239-13 MILE 178.20, BELLEVILLE SUBDIVISION WHITBY, ONTARIO 14 JANUARY 2004 The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigated this occurrence for the purpose of advancing transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability. Railway Investigation Report Main-Track Derailment Canadian Pacific Railway Train No. 239-13 Mile 178.20, Belleville Subdivision Whitby, Ontario 14 January 2004 Report Number R04T0008 Synopsis On 14 January 2004, at approximately 1942 eastern standard time, Canadian Pacific Railway intermodal train 239-13, travelling westward, derailed 11 car platforms transporting 18 containers at Mile 178.20 of the Belleville Subdivision. The derailment occurred just east of the overpass at Garden Street in Whitby, Ontario. Some of the rail car platforms and containers fell onto the roadway below, striking a southbound vehicle and fatally injuring the two occupants. Ce rapport est également disponible en français. © Minister of Public Works and Government Services 2006 Cat. No. TU3-6/04-1E ISBN 0-662-42997-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Factual Information ............................................................................1 1.1 The Accident ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Site Examination.......................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Damage to Track Infrastructure................................................................................ 6 1.4 Other Damage.............................................................................................................. 6 1.5 Personnel Information................................................................................................ 7 1.5.1 Train Crew ................................................................................................................... 7 1.5.2 Rail Traffic Control ..................................................................................................... 7 1.6 Particulars of the Track............................................................................................... 8 1.7 Track Inspection and Testing .................................................................................... 8 1.8 Wayside Inspection Systems ..................................................................................... 9 1.8.1 Hot Bearing, Hot Wheel and Dragging Equipment Detector Systems ............... 9 1.8.2 Wheel Impact Load Detector Systems ..................................................................... 9 1.9 Rail Car Inspection.................................................................................................... 10 1.9.1 Inspection of Train 239 Before Lonsdale................................................................ 10 1.9.2 Inspection of Train 239 at Lonsdale Siding ........................................................... 10 1.9.3 Hot Wheel Inspection of Train 239 at Belleville.................................................... 10 1.9.4 Inspection of Train 239 at Trenton.......................................................................... 11 1.10 Method of Train Control .......................................................................................... 11 1.11 Rail Traffic Control Operations at Canadian Pacific Railway ............................ 11 1.11.1 Rail Traffic Control Offices ...................................................................................... 12 1.11.1.1 Montréal Rail Traffic Control Office....................................................................... 12 1.11.1.2 Communication of Safety Issues Between Rail Traffic Control Offices ............ 13 1.11.2 Management of the Rail Traffic Controller’s Workload and Mental Fatigue... 14 1.11.2.1 Rail Traffic Control Procedures Concerning Workload and Rest ...................... 14 1.11.2.2 Rail Traffic Controller’s Workload on January 14................................................ 16 1.11.2.3 Managing Workload and Fatigue in Air Traffic Control..................................... 17 1.11.3 Documentation of Safety-Critical Information ..................................................... 17 1.11.3.1 Rail Traffic Control Planning Sheet for January 14 .............................................. 19 1.12 Unidentified Track Occupancies............................................................................. 19 1.12.1 Rail Traffic Control Procedure for Unidentified Track Occupancies ................ 20 1.12.2 Rail Traffic Controller Training for the Unidentified Track Occupany Procedure ................................................................................................................... 21 1.12.3 Response to Unidentifed Track Occupancies Following Train 239 ................... 21 1.12.3.1 Mile 121.10 (Colborne) – First Unidentified Track Occupancy Behind Train 239 ..................................................................................................................... 21 1.12.3.2 Mile 155.80 (Lovekin) – Second Unidentified Track Occupancy Behind Train 239 ..................................................................................................................... 22 TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.12.3.3 Mile 168.70 (Darlington) – Third Unidentified Track Occupancy Behind Train 239 ..................................................................................................................... 22 1.13 Regulatory Overview of Rail Traffic Control Operations ................................... 23 1.14 Main-Track Derailments During Winter Conditions........................................... 25 1.15 Canadian Pacific Railway Winter Operating Plan ............................................... 25 1.15.1 Canadian Pacific Railway Cold Weather Slow Order Policy.............................. 26 1.16 Transportation Safety Board of Canada Engineering Laboratory Examination ............................................................................................................... 27 1.16.1 Examination of Broken Rails ................................................................................... 27 1.16.2 Examination of Broken Wheel................................................................................. 28 1.16.3 Ultrasonic Testing for Internal Wheel Defects ...................................................... 29 1.17 Other Occurrences Involving Southern Wheels ................................................... 29 1.17.1 Main-Track Derailment due to Broken Wheel – Heron Bay ............................... 30 1.17.2 Broken Wheel Occurrence – Telkwa ...................................................................... 31 1.18 Manufacturing of Southern Wheels ....................................................................... 31 2.0 Analysis ..............................................................................................33 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 33 2.2 The Accident .............................................................................................................. 33 2.3 Broken Wheel............................................................................................................. 34 2.4 Inspection and Reporting of Track Damage.......................................................... 36 2.5 Actions Following the Unidentified Track Occupancy at Lovekin.................... 36 2.5.1 Actions of the Rail Traffic Controller ..................................................................... 36 2.5.2 Actions of the Assistant Manager, Rail Traffic Control....................................... 37 2.6 Management of the Rail Traffic Controller’s Workload ...................................... 37 2.7 Rail Traffic Control Procedure for Responding to Unidentified Track Occupancies ............................................................................................................... 39 2.8 Documentation of Safety-Critical Information ..................................................... 40 2.8.1 Procedures for Train Planning Sheets .................................................................... 40 2.8.2 Documentation During Periods of High Workload............................................. 40 2.9 Management of Rail Traffic Controller Mental Fatigue ...................................... 40 2.10 Safety Communication Between Rail Traffic Control Offices............................ 41 3.0 Conclusions........................................................................................43 3.1 Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors.................................................. 43 3.2 Findings as to Risk .................................................................................................... 43 4.0 Safety Action......................................................................................45 4.1 Action Taken.............................................................................................................. 45 4.1.1 Transport Canada’s Auditing and Regulatory Actions....................................... 45 4.1.2 Inspection and Reporting of Damaged or Broken Rail........................................ 45 4.1.3 Rail Traffic Control