Train 188 derailed near PHL (May 12, 2015)
May 15, 2015, 1:06 pm
#61
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One factor that will bear considerable influence in both investigation and any resulting trial would certainly be the result(s) of drugs and alcohol testing. Under DOT regs, periodic, random and incident-driven testing are all required for transportation safety-sensitive positions. Link. Let's hope he was clear of that.
Ironically, it was a rail transport incident that gave genuine impetus to the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act in 1991, 49 CFR 40, iirc.
(The origins are from September 15, 1986, when President Ronald Reagan issued Executive Order 12564. But the catalyst for transportation safety-sensitive employees was surely the 4 Jan 1987 collision near Baltimore of Amtrak 94 into Connrail logos operated by a marijuana-impaired engineer and the resulting loss of lives. The FRA upped the ante, Congress did so as well.)
Ironically, it was a rail transport incident that gave genuine impetus to the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act in 1991, 49 CFR 40, iirc.
(The origins are from September 15, 1986, when President Ronald Reagan issued Executive Order 12564. But the catalyst for transportation safety-sensitive employees was surely the 4 Jan 1987 collision near Baltimore of Amtrak 94 into Connrail logos operated by a marijuana-impaired engineer and the resulting loss of lives. The FRA upped the ante, Congress did so as well.)
May 15, 2015, 2:06 pm
#63
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Is there any information on how Amtrak is handling passengers travelling from north of New York to south of Philly (e.g. Boston to Washington)? I'd imagine that they're using separate trains north and south of the accident and trying to keep close to the original schedules, but the NT Transit/SEPTA option is way too slow to try and catch the same train you would've been on at the other end of the closed section.
May 15, 2015, 2:28 pm
#64
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While zoning out is always a problem, even car drivers do it; I don't think that was a problem here. The train had just left 30th Street station a few minutes before. There really wasn't time for someone to be lulled into such a state.
Additionally, and unlike the cab car on Metro North train, all Amtrak engines are equipped with what's called an alerter system. This system tracks inputs from the engineer; things like did they move the throttle, apply brakes, blow the horn, or ring the bell. If they did, a timer is reset and starts running again. That timer is random, but always 2 minutes or less.
If the engineer doesn't once again engage in an activity that resets & restarts the timer the engineer gets a visual alert and an audible beeping that time is running out. The engineer has a few seconds to either make some control input or hit the alerter button to reset things once again.
If none of those things happen the audible alert turns to an extremely loud horn that would awaken anyone who isn't already dead or unconscious. Again the engineer is given a few more seconds to reset things. If they fail, the computers will apply the brakes and bring the train to a stop.
And the engineer will have some explaining to do.
In the case of Metro North, the cab car that he was operating the train from only had a dead man's feature installed. He was only required to keep his foot on a peddle to keep the train moving. Much easier to doze off, or at least zone out, without losing the pressure on that peddle. Had that MN train been reversed so that he was operating from the engine things might have been different since the engine was equipped with an alerter system.
Additionally, and unlike the cab car on Metro North train, all Amtrak engines are equipped with what's called an alerter system. This system tracks inputs from the engineer; things like did they move the throttle, apply brakes, blow the horn, or ring the bell. If they did, a timer is reset and starts running again. That timer is random, but always 2 minutes or less.
If the engineer doesn't once again engage in an activity that resets & restarts the timer the engineer gets a visual alert and an audible beeping that time is running out. The engineer has a few seconds to either make some control input or hit the alerter button to reset things once again.
If none of those things happen the audible alert turns to an extremely loud horn that would awaken anyone who isn't already dead or unconscious. Again the engineer is given a few more seconds to reset things. If they fail, the computers will apply the brakes and bring the train to a stop.
And the engineer will have some explaining to do.
In the case of Metro North, the cab car that he was operating the train from only had a dead man's feature installed. He was only required to keep his foot on a peddle to keep the train moving. Much easier to doze off, or at least zone out, without losing the pressure on that peddle. Had that MN train been reversed so that he was operating from the engine things might have been different since the engine was equipped with an alerter system.
May 15, 2015, 7:53 pm
#65
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Beer saved our lives!!!!
My colleagues were in the cafe car. One of them is the music director pictured and quoted in this article: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/l...de-of-a-dryerq
I'll see them both tomorrow and see if I can relay any more first-hand accounts.
I'll see them both tomorrow and see if I can relay any more first-hand accounts.
Both of them, shortly after leaving PHL, left their seats in the front of the train to go to the cafe car to sit and have a beer. So they are saying that beer saved their lives, since the car they were originally in was much more severely damaged!
So never hesitate - always have that beer!
Here is another article in which they are interviewed: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/201...trak-injuries/
Last edited by rittenhousesq; May 15, 2015 at 8:15 pm
May 16, 2015, 8:08 am
#66
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So I talked to my colleagues today who were on #188. They both have cuts and bruises and one is limping and it's painful to sit down or stand up, but otherwise they are ok.
Both of them, shortly after leaving PHL, left their seats in the front of the train to go to the cafe car to sit and have a beer. So they are saying that beer saved their lives, since the car they were originally in was much more severely damaged!
So never hesitate - always have that beer!
Here is another article in which they are interviewed: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/201...trak-injuries/
Both of them, shortly after leaving PHL, left their seats in the front of the train to go to the cafe car to sit and have a beer. So they are saying that beer saved their lives, since the car they were originally in was much more severely damaged!
So never hesitate - always have that beer!
Here is another article in which they are interviewed: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/201...trak-injuries/
Is there any information on how Amtrak is handling passengers travelling from north of New York to south of Philly (e.g. Boston to Washington)? I'd imagine that they're using separate trains north and south of the accident and trying to keep close to the original schedules, but the NT Transit/SEPTA option is way too slow to try and catch the same train you would've been on at the other end of the closed section.
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...=1251628184602
Now the NY Times has reported that both the derailed train and a SEPTA train were hit by projectiles just before the derailment, and that children commonly throw things at trains in the vicinity:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/16/us...-say.html?_r=0
Last edited by physioprof; May 16, 2015 at 8:20 am Reason: combining responses to multiple posts
May 16, 2015, 10:02 am
#67
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Very lucky.
Now the NY Times has reported that both the derailed train and a SEPTA train were hit by projectiles just before the derailment, and that children commonly throw things at trains in the vicinity:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/16/us...-say.html?_r=0
Now the NY Times has reported that both the derailed train and a SEPTA train were hit by projectiles just before the derailment, and that children commonly throw things at trains in the vicinity:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/16/us...-say.html?_r=0
May 16, 2015, 10:45 am
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May 16, 2015, 10:56 am
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The reporter that filed this story did quite a bit of leg work to find the messages he posted (or had some help !)
Trainorders is a paid subscription site and has an active section on Passenger Trains, but there is no charge to lurk.
Lurkers, however can only see current messages and can not look at photos and videos.
Bob H
May 16, 2015, 11:11 am
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A message from president and ceo joe boardman on train 188
From an email to this AGR member:
The derailment of Northeast Regional Train 188 was a terrible tragedy that we are responding to with every resource we have available. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation to determine the cause of the incident, and Amtrak is providing full cooperation.
With truly heavy hearts, we mourn those who died. Their loss leaves holes in the lives of their families and communities. On behalf of the entire Amtrak family, I offer our sincere sympathies and prayers for them and their loved ones. Amtrak takes full responsibility and deeply apologizes for our role in this tragic event.
We recognize that for everyone onboard the train, including those who suffered injuries, the healing process may be long. Within 24 hours of the incident, Amtrak set up a Family Assistance Center in Philadelphia to work closely with the family of passengers and crew on the train. We are also working with the individuals and families affected by this event to help them with transportation, lodging, and of course, medical bills and funeral expenses.
Amtrak is ever grateful to the City of Philadelphia—its first responders who bravely worked in difficult conditions, including the dark of night, to rescue and provide aid to hundreds; its hospital personnel who went into full alert as patients arrived at emergency rooms; its officials who quickly implemented a response plan; and its citizens who opened their doors to offer assistance.
Although our current focus is on the passengers and employees affected by this incident and the resulting service disruption along the Northeast Corridor, we must also take time to learn from this event. Passenger railroading is at its core about people; the safety of our passengers and employees was, is and always will be our number one priority. Our goal is to fully understand what happened and how we can prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future. We will also continue to focus on completing Positive Train Control implementation in the Northeast Corridor by December of 2015.
Thank you for your support of America's Railroad during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Joe Boardman, President and Chief Executive Officer
The derailment of Northeast Regional Train 188 was a terrible tragedy that we are responding to with every resource we have available. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation to determine the cause of the incident, and Amtrak is providing full cooperation.
With truly heavy hearts, we mourn those who died. Their loss leaves holes in the lives of their families and communities. On behalf of the entire Amtrak family, I offer our sincere sympathies and prayers for them and their loved ones. Amtrak takes full responsibility and deeply apologizes for our role in this tragic event.
We recognize that for everyone onboard the train, including those who suffered injuries, the healing process may be long. Within 24 hours of the incident, Amtrak set up a Family Assistance Center in Philadelphia to work closely with the family of passengers and crew on the train. We are also working with the individuals and families affected by this event to help them with transportation, lodging, and of course, medical bills and funeral expenses.
Amtrak is ever grateful to the City of Philadelphia—its first responders who bravely worked in difficult conditions, including the dark of night, to rescue and provide aid to hundreds; its hospital personnel who went into full alert as patients arrived at emergency rooms; its officials who quickly implemented a response plan; and its citizens who opened their doors to offer assistance.
Although our current focus is on the passengers and employees affected by this incident and the resulting service disruption along the Northeast Corridor, we must also take time to learn from this event. Passenger railroading is at its core about people; the safety of our passengers and employees was, is and always will be our number one priority. Our goal is to fully understand what happened and how we can prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future. We will also continue to focus on completing Positive Train Control implementation in the Northeast Corridor by December of 2015.
Thank you for your support of America's Railroad during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Joe Boardman, President and Chief Executive Officer
May 16, 2015, 12:58 pm
#71
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Interesting and sadly ironic that the engineer apparently was super concerned with train safety and the implementation of fail-safe speed control systems. I sure hope it turns out that this really was some kind of freak accident and not a culpable action by the engineer.
Could he really have just "spaced out" or otherwise lost his spatial orientation and thought he was already through the turn and thus accelerated the train?
Just found this article:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...ior-route.html
Sixty-one minutes before he reported for the northbound run that ended with the death of eight passengers, train engineer Brandon Bostian completed a southbound run that likely turned exhausting and nerve-wracking because of an electronic failure, a knowledgeable source says.
“I can tell you from decades of doing this that when he got there he was frazzled,” says the source, a longtime engineer who asked not to be identified.
The source reports that Bostian’s prior train—Acela express 2121—suffered what is known as a “cab signal failure” after it departed New York for Washington at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
As a result, Bostian could not rely on the electronic indicators and audible alerts in the cab that present an engineer with the information conveyed by the hundreds of trackside signals, along with the advised speed.
Instead, Bostian would have been required to directly observe, register and interpret the signals with no backup in the event he happened to miss a crucial one because he was momentarily distracted or his vision was obscured.
An engineer in these circumstances cannot lose his focus for even an instant for fear he will miss an alert advising him of a train up ahead or an upcoming switch or any number of other circumstances that would require him to slow.
“It’s absolutely crazy on the nerves,” the source says.
Could he really have just "spaced out" or otherwise lost his spatial orientation and thought he was already through the turn and thus accelerated the train?
Just found this article:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...ior-route.html
Sixty-one minutes before he reported for the northbound run that ended with the death of eight passengers, train engineer Brandon Bostian completed a southbound run that likely turned exhausting and nerve-wracking because of an electronic failure, a knowledgeable source says.
“I can tell you from decades of doing this that when he got there he was frazzled,” says the source, a longtime engineer who asked not to be identified.
The source reports that Bostian’s prior train—Acela express 2121—suffered what is known as a “cab signal failure” after it departed New York for Washington at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
As a result, Bostian could not rely on the electronic indicators and audible alerts in the cab that present an engineer with the information conveyed by the hundreds of trackside signals, along with the advised speed.
Instead, Bostian would have been required to directly observe, register and interpret the signals with no backup in the event he happened to miss a crucial one because he was momentarily distracted or his vision was obscured.
An engineer in these circumstances cannot lose his focus for even an instant for fear he will miss an alert advising him of a train up ahead or an upcoming switch or any number of other circumstances that would require him to slow.
“It’s absolutely crazy on the nerves,” the source says.
Last edited by physioprof; May 16, 2015 at 1:02 pm Reason: added link and quote to another article
May 16, 2015, 4:41 pm
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The NY Times: Objects Hit Trains So Often There’s Term for It: Getting Rocked
MAY 16, 2015
A short excerpt:
Getting “rocked,” as locomotive engineers call it, is so common on the Northeast Corridor that trains long had metal grills over their windshields to act as armor. These days, thick glass is specifically designed to withstand the impact of a cinder block. Amtrak officials say trains are pelted in the neighborhoods around of the crash site monthly.
As officials looked into whether this old problem may have played a part in the Amtrak crash, federal officials were taking steps to try to improve safety along the Northeast Corridor, the nation’s busiest passenger rail line. On Saturday the Federal Railroad Administration announced that it had instructed Amtrak to increase the use of technology that would have automatically slowed the train before it could derail. Currently the system is in use only in portions of the rail system.
As officials looked into whether this old problem may have played a part in the Amtrak crash, federal officials were taking steps to try to improve safety along the Northeast Corridor, the nation’s busiest passenger rail line. On Saturday the Federal Railroad Administration announced that it had instructed Amtrak to increase the use of technology that would have automatically slowed the train before it could derail. Currently the system is in use only in portions of the rail system.
May 16, 2015, 4:57 pm
#73
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Trains magazine has posted two articles that I think are available to non-subscribers:
Trains Magazine: FRA to issue emergency orders for Amtrak operations in Northeast Corridor
May 16, 2015
A short excerpt:
They also posted a Fred Frailey opinion piece about the media's coverage of the accident:
Trains Magazine: Media and the railroads
Posted by Fred Frailey
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Frailey also wrote this piece for CNN:
CNN: The danger train travel can't banish
By Fred Frailey Updated 12:41 PM ET, Thu May 14, 2015
A short quote:
Trains Magazine: FRA to issue emergency orders for Amtrak operations in Northeast Corridor
May 16, 2015
A short excerpt:
Federal Railroad Administration officials say they will issue formal emergency orders next week that will require Amtrak to make sure automatic train control systems work northbound through Philadelphia at and near the site of an Amtrak Northeast Regional train derailment on Tuesday; assess the risk of all curves along the NEC; and increase the amount and frequency of speed limit signs along the corridor.
FRA spokesman Kevin Thompson tells Trains NewsWire that the FRA chose these action items to be part of coming emergency orders because rail safety investigators say the regional train was going too fast when it derailed, and not for more specific reasons. Thompson says the FRA has been working on the orders for the “past one or two days.”
FRA spokesman Kevin Thompson tells Trains NewsWire that the FRA chose these action items to be part of coming emergency orders because rail safety investigators say the regional train was going too fast when it derailed, and not for more specific reasons. Thompson says the FRA has been working on the orders for the “past one or two days.”
Trains Magazine: Media and the railroads
Posted by Fred Frailey
Saturday, May 16, 2015
The best reporters learn as they go and become experts on new subjects, if given enough time. The wreck of train 188 turns out to have legs, that is, staying power. The story won’t go away. At this point I think the news organizations are doing a great job, and I salute them.
CNN: The danger train travel can't banish
By Fred Frailey Updated 12:41 PM ET, Thu May 14, 2015
A short quote:
The rules by which trains operate on American railroads were written in blood. As the rail network developed in the 19th century, every accident was a lesson learned -- and brought a new rule to prevent it from happening again. Today the General Code of Operating Rules is a 167-page collection of lessons learned. But even 185 years of experience haven't yet protected railroads from the danger no rule can banish: simple human error.
May 16, 2015, 5:04 pm
#75
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Karl Edler, a retired engineer who drove the line hundreds of times, said an impact could help explain the wreck. When a train pulls out of the North Philadelphia station, the engineer usually twists the throttle “up to notch eight, which is engineer-speak for wide open” he said.
It is about three miles to the curve where Amtrak 188 derailed.
“Usually you just leave the throttle open until you get up to 80 miles per hour, then put on the brake for the curve,” he said. “Seems reasonable that something happened right about that time he would have started slowing down that kept him from taking the throttle off. He was startled by the impact or whatever. And by the time he realized it, it was too late.”
It is about three miles to the curve where Amtrak 188 derailed.
“Usually you just leave the throttle open until you get up to 80 miles per hour, then put on the brake for the curve,” he said. “Seems reasonable that something happened right about that time he would have started slowing down that kept him from taking the throttle off. He was startled by the impact or whatever. And by the time he realized it, it was too late.”