NTSB: 2015 Union Pacific collision a result of sleeping crew members

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the likely cause of a 2015 Union Pacific rail collision in Texas was sleeping crew members and a lack of a functioning positive train control (PTC) system.    The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the cause of a collision between two Union Pacific (UP) Railroad trains in Texas in September 2015 was that the crew of one train was likely asleep.
   In an NTSB report on the incident released last week, it was also determined that a contributing factor to the accident was the lack of a functioning positive train control (PTC) system. PTC is a wireless communication system that can override a conductor to slow or stop a train to prevent an accident. Congress mandated implementation of PTC in 2008 for all U.S. railroads by Dec. 31, 2015, but later extended the deadline to the end of 2018.
   On Sept. 8, 2015, after midnight, a westbound UP freight train collided with the side of northbound UP freight train near Texarkana, Texas. The westbound train was traveling on the main track of the Pine Bluff Subdivision, while the northbound train was traveling on the Little Rock Subdivision, NTSB stated. The trains collided at a diamond crossing (Texarkana Interlocking) of the two subdivisions at about 6 mph, resulting in two locomotives of the westbound train and seven cars northbound train derailing. The engineer and conductor of the westbound train sustained minor injuries, though no injuries were reported on the northbound train, NTSB noted.
   Upon impact, the westbound train dumped about 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel. NTSB reported that the estimated damage from the collision was $4.66 million. The NTSB report made note of the clear skies, mild temperature and distinct visibility. However, the crew members could not provide NTSB investigators with detailed recollections for the period of time right before the collision, according to the NTSB report.
   “The NTSB believes that both UP crew members [of the westbound train] experienced independent fatigue-induced disengagement that caused them to fall asleep while operating the train,” the report concluded.