83 FR 28013 - Investigative Hearing

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 116 (June 15, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 116 (Friday, June 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28013-28014]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12846]


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NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD


Investigative Hearing

    Two recent Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) 
accidents have motivated this investigative hearing: First, an Amtrak 
overspeed derailment in a 30 mph curve that occurred in DuPont, 
Washington, and, second, an Amtrak head-on collision with a standing 
freight train in Cayce, South Carolina.
    The first accident occurred on December 18, 2017, at 7:33 a.m., 
Pacific standard time, and involved southbound Amtrak passenger train 
501, consisting of a leading and trailing locomotive, a power car, 10 
passenger railcars, and a luggage car. Train 501 was traveling at 78 
mph when it derailed from a highway overpass near DuPont, Washington. 
The train was on its first regular passenger service trip on a single 
main track (Lakewood subdivision) at milepost (MP) 19.86. The lead 
locomotive, the power car, and two passenger railcars derailed onto 
Interstate 5. Fourteen highway vehicles came into contact with the 
derailed equipment. At the time of the accident, 77 passengers, 5 
Amtrak employees, and a Talgo Incorporated technician were on the 
train.\1\ Of these individuals, 3 passengers were killed and 62 
passengers and crewmembers were injured. Eight individuals in highway 
vehicles were also injured. The damage is estimated to be more than $40 
million. At the time of the accident, the temperature was 
48[emsp14][deg]F, the wind was from the south at 9 mph, and the 
visibility was 10 miles in light rain.
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    \1\ Talgo Incorporated, which was the original manufacturer of 
the passenger railcars, has the service and maintenance contract.
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    The second accident occurred on February 4, 2018, about 2:27 a.m. 
eastern standard time, and involved southbound Amtrak train 91, 
operating on a track warrant. Train 91 was diverted from the main track 
through a hand-thrown switch into a siding and collided head-on with 
stationary CSX Transportation (CSX) local freight train F777 03.\2\ The 
accident occurred on the CSX Columbia subdivision in Cayce, South 
Carolina. The engineer and conductor of the Amtrak train died in the 
collision, and at least 92 passengers and crewmembers on the Amtrak 
train were transported to medical facilities. The engineer of the 
stopped CSX train had exited the lead locomotive before the Amtrak 
train entered the siding, ran to safety, and was not injured. The 
conductor of the CSX lead locomotive saw the Amtrak train approaching 
in the siding and ran to the back of locomotive.
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    \2\ Track warrant is a method of authorizing movements or 
protecting employees or on-track equipment in signaled or 
nonsignaled territory on controlled track within specified signals. 
These movements are under the jurisdiction of the train dispatcher.
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    The investigative hearing will discuss the following issue areas:
     Amtrak Operations on Host Railroads.
     Addressing Safety in Preparation for the Point Defiance 
Bypass.
     Managing Safety on Passenger Railroads.
     International Approach to Passenger Train Operations on 
Shared Use and Safety Management Principles From Other Industries.
    Parties to hearing are the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); 
Amtrak; CSX; Sound Transit; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and 
Trainmen; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; International Association 
of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers; Washington State 
Utilities and Transportation Commission; and the Washington State 
Department of Transportation.

Order of Proceedings

1. Opening Statement by the Chairman of the Board of Inquiry
2. Introduction of the Board of Inquiry and Technical Panel
3. Introduction of the Parties to the Hearing
4. Introduction of Exhibits by Hearing Officer
5. Overview of the incident and the investigation by Investigator-In-
Charge
6. Calling of Witnesses by Hearing Officer
7. Closing Statement by the Chairman of the Board of Inquiry

    The investigative hearing will be held in the NTSB Board Room and 
Conference Center, located at 429 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC on

[[Page 28014]]

Tuesday, July 10, 2018, and Wednesday, July 11, 2018, beginning at 8:30 
a.m. Media planning to cover the investigative hearing are asked to 
contact the NTSB's chief of media relations, Chris O'Neil at 202-314-
6133 or [email protected].
    The investigative hearing will be transmitted live via the NTSB's 
website at http://www.capitolconnection.net/capcon/ntsb/ntsb.htm. A 
link for webcast will be available shortly before the start of the 
hearing. An archival video of the hearing will be available via the 
website for 30 days after the hearing.
    Individuals requiring reasonable accommodation and/or wheelchair 
access directions should contact Ms. Rochelle McCallister at (202) 314-
6305 or by email at [email protected].
    NTSB Investigative Hearing Officer: Mr. Robert ``Joe'' Gordon_
[email protected].

Candi R. Bing,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-12846 Filed 6-14-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7533-01-P