9267 Collision at Otisville.Pdf

NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD RAIL SAFETY SECTION ABBREVIATED REPORT CASE NUMBER: 9267 DATE OF ACCIDENT: February 14, 2007 CARRIER: New Jersey Transit TYPE OF ACCIDENT: Collision ACCIDENT SYNOPSIS: On Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at approximately 7:50 p.m., westbound New Jersey Transit train #59 struck a skid steer loader that was fouling the track at Otisville Station. The loader had been plowing snow from the platform when it became stuck fouling the track. The loader operator was working alone without flagman protection and was not authorized to remove snow from the station platform. There were no injuries reported as a result of this collision and a preliminary estimate of $25,000.00 in damages to rail road equipment and property was given. Otisville Station is located at mile post 73.8 on the NJT Port Jervis Line. The single, non- electrified track is leased by Metro North Railroad and the trains are operated by New Jersey Transit. A controlled siding track runs parallel to the main line track. Train #59 left Hoboken, New Jersey bound for Port Jervis Station at 6:08 p.m.The train consisted of five coach cars led by locomotive #4103 and had a crew consisting of an engineer, a conductor and an assistant conductor. Maximum allowable speed for passenger trains in this area is 60 MPH. Shortly before the collision, the loader operator, whose company was under contract with Metro North Railroad to remove snow from the municipal parking lot only, over stepped his authority and drove the loader onto the low station platform to remove the snow. While maneuvering on the platform, the loader became stuck when it was driven partially off the platform onto the tracks, fouling the main line track in the station. As train #59 approached, the train engineer was slowing the train in anticipation of a normal station stop when he spotted a group of men standing around a piece of equipment that was fouling the main track. The engineer stated that he blew the train’s horn to warn the men of his approach but it was not until the train got closer that he realized he was going to hit the loader and he placed the brakes in full emergency. The train was traveling at an estimated speed of 15 MPH when the locomotive struck the loader. The impact shoved the loader approximately 72 feet along the platform where it struck the metal and glass weather shelter, a set of stairs and a ticket vending machine. Inspection of the locomotive revealed undercar damage to the cab signal equipment and to the fuel tank filler. A preliminary estimate of damages to rail road equipment and property was estimated at over $25,000.00 dollars. No fuel was spilled in this accident. There were no injuries reported by any of the passengers or crew aboard the train. The passengers detrained onto the station platform and boarded the next westbound train which arrived at 8:00 p.m. on the siding track adjacent to train #59. The loader operator worked for Allright Transit Services out of Poughkeepsie, NY 12602 and was contracted by Metro-North Railroad to clear station parking lots only. Their employees are not Metro-North Railroad Roadway Worker Safety certified and are not permitted to work on or near the right-of-way. Furthermore, Metro North Railroad does not utilize heavy equipment on their platforms for snow removal which is accomplished with the use of hand tools and small snow blowers only. Metro North Railroad does contract with another company to remove snow from the station platforms whose employees are certified to work on the right of way. These contractor employees have taken the Roadway Worker Safety and the CSX Contractor safety classes. In response to this accident, Metro North Railroad has re-instructed all of the employees from both companies on their responsibilities and limitations in their scope of work that they are specifically contracted for. The accident occurred in the evening and weather conditions were clear, with wind gust of 30 MPH and an ambient temperature of about 10 degrees. The area was covered with approximately 10 inches of snow from a storm that ended earlier in the evening. Regardless of the existing weather conditions, PTSB staff has determined that the weather was not a contributing cause to this accident. CONCLUSION The Public Transportation Safety Board staff finds that the cause of this accident was the unsafe actions of the loader operator who trespassed upon the low station platform to remove snow and became stuck when he drove the loader off the edge of the platform. Based upon these facts, the Public Transportation Safety Board staff takes no issue with the property and makes no recommendations regarding this accident. NAME OF INVESTIGATOR: Robert Maraldo DATE SUBMITTED: March 9, 2007 SIGNATURE: Jerry Shook, Director Rail Safety Bureau.

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