Official Says Mechanical Failure, Human Error Factors In Train Derailment
POSTED: 8:30 a.m. EDT July 14, 2003
UPDATED: 9:06 a.m. EDT July 17, 2003
NEWARK, N.J. -- A combination of mechanical failure and human error contributed to Monday's NJ Transit commuter train derailment that injured 25 people and disrupted rush hour service between Newark and New York, officials said.
Slideshow: Secaucus Derailment
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George Warrington, NJ Transit's executive director, said a conductor failed to properly test for high heat damage about 30 minutes before a wheel fell off, derailing two cars of the 12-car Trenton-to-New York train. The damaged car had passed an inspection earlier in the month, Warrington said. The other 230 Arrow III cars in the agency's fleet were checked after the accident and found to be OK, he said. Warrington and state Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere briefed the media Wednesday at New Jersey Transit headquarters in Newark on preliminary findings of accident investigators. "This is serious business," Warrington said. "Safety is the single most important foundation for a railroad operation." A dozen people initially reported being injured in New Jersey, including 11 who were treated at local hospitals and released, said Ken Miller, a transit spokesman. Miller said another 13 people later reported being injured after riding a backup train to New York, though all but one of them declined hospital treatment. Warrington said the train hit debris shortly after leaving Trenton, breaking a rubber seal on a wheel housing and allowing lubricating grease to leak out. Without the proper lubrication, Warrington said, friction and heat built up until the wheel bearings froze, and the wheel broke free from the axle. A sensor along the tracks about 20 miles west of the derailment site had detected excessive heat from the wheel. The information was relayed to the engineer with instructions to stop and do a safety inspection. The conductor's reenactment of the test on Tuesday, with investigators watching, revealed that he touched the testing device to the wrong part of the train's undercarriage, Warrington said. Using a pen-sized device known as a Tempilstik, which contains hard wax made to melt at temperatures above 200 degrees, Warrington said the conductor touched a metal belt that supports the wheel housing, but not the housing itself. He said the belt was not as hot as the housing, and therefore the Tempilstik did not indicate a problem. The conductor, whose name was not released, is in his fourth year with the railroad, after being promoted from trainman in August 2002. Warrington said the conductor's training included the overheating test, and he was responsible for knowing how to perform it. The conductor will be retrained, and an administrative hearing will be held to determine whether any disciplinary action will be taken, he said. "He's a good employee," Warrington said. "We believe he made a mistake." Xavier Williams, general chairman of Local 60 of the United Transportation Union, which represents 1,100 New Jersey Transit employees, declined to comment on Warrington's assertion. Williams said the conductor's record had been "impeccable," and that the union would do its own fact-finding. "When we do have a formal investigation, we'll be able to give our opinion of what happened on Monday," Williams said. Heat sensors have been required for several years on the Northeast Corridor line by the Federal Railroad Administration because of the high speeds -- up to 130 mph by Amtrak trains -- traveled over the line, Warrington said. Officials said the NJT train was doing 69 mph in a 70-mph zone when it derailed. Warrington said the agency will also review emergency procedures, including crew communication with passengers. The train's public address system was not functioning properly at the time of the accident, he said. The federal rail agency is also investigating. Its final report may not be released for months, officials said. New Jersey Transit trains were back on regular schedules Wednesday. Monday's derailment had canceled some Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains and forced Midtown Direct trains to stop in Hoboken, where passengers had to transfer to ferries or PATH trains.
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Getting NJ Transit Back On TrackSlideshow: Secaucus DerailmentTraffic: Alerts | SkyCams
George Warrington, NJ Transit's executive director, said a conductor failed to properly test for high heat damage about 30 minutes before a wheel fell off, derailing two cars of the 12-car Trenton-to-New York train. The damaged car had passed an inspection earlier in the month, Warrington said. The other 230 Arrow III cars in the agency's fleet were checked after the accident and found to be OK, he said. Warrington and state Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere briefed the media Wednesday at New Jersey Transit headquarters in Newark on preliminary findings of accident investigators. "This is serious business," Warrington said. "Safety is the single most important foundation for a railroad operation." A dozen people initially reported being injured in New Jersey, including 11 who were treated at local hospitals and released, said Ken Miller, a transit spokesman. Miller said another 13 people later reported being injured after riding a backup train to New York, though all but one of them declined hospital treatment. Warrington said the train hit debris shortly after leaving Trenton, breaking a rubber seal on a wheel housing and allowing lubricating grease to leak out. Without the proper lubrication, Warrington said, friction and heat built up until the wheel bearings froze, and the wheel broke free from the axle. A sensor along the tracks about 20 miles west of the derailment site had detected excessive heat from the wheel. The information was relayed to the engineer with instructions to stop and do a safety inspection. The conductor's reenactment of the test on Tuesday, with investigators watching, revealed that he touched the testing device to the wrong part of the train's undercarriage, Warrington said. Using a pen-sized device known as a Tempilstik, which contains hard wax made to melt at temperatures above 200 degrees, Warrington said the conductor touched a metal belt that supports the wheel housing, but not the housing itself. He said the belt was not as hot as the housing, and therefore the Tempilstik did not indicate a problem. The conductor, whose name was not released, is in his fourth year with the railroad, after being promoted from trainman in August 2002. Warrington said the conductor's training included the overheating test, and he was responsible for knowing how to perform it. The conductor will be retrained, and an administrative hearing will be held to determine whether any disciplinary action will be taken, he said. "He's a good employee," Warrington said. "We believe he made a mistake." Xavier Williams, general chairman of Local 60 of the United Transportation Union, which represents 1,100 New Jersey Transit employees, declined to comment on Warrington's assertion. Williams said the conductor's record had been "impeccable," and that the union would do its own fact-finding. "When we do have a formal investigation, we'll be able to give our opinion of what happened on Monday," Williams said. Heat sensors have been required for several years on the Northeast Corridor line by the Federal Railroad Administration because of the high speeds -- up to 130 mph by Amtrak trains -- traveled over the line, Warrington said. Officials said the NJT train was doing 69 mph in a 70-mph zone when it derailed. Warrington said the agency will also review emergency procedures, including crew communication with passengers. The train's public address system was not functioning properly at the time of the accident, he said. The federal rail agency is also investigating. Its final report may not be released for months, officials said. New Jersey Transit trains were back on regular schedules Wednesday. Monday's derailment had canceled some Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains and forced Midtown Direct trains to stop in Hoboken, where passengers had to transfer to ferries or PATH trains.
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