(The following story by Tom Cherveny appeared on the West Central Tribune website on April 2.)
CLARA CITY, N.D. — Human error is blamed in the train derailment that led to the evacuation of 400 residents in Clara City during the early morning hours of Oct. 29, 2007.
No employee was stationed at the lead of a train as is required when it began moving cars on a side rail, according to a report filed by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway company.
As the train shoved the cars, it went too far and pushed some of the cars onto the main track, according to Steve Forsberg, public relations director with BNSF Railway.
The lack of a person to observe the lead of the train meant that two problems were not witnessed or reported to the engineer in the locomotive: The train damaged a switch when it pushed the cars too far, and some of the cars entered the main track, which is not allowed without authorization from the area dispatcher.
The engineer was not aware of these problems as he moved the train and cars back on to the side rail. The damaged switch caused a car to come free and derail. It was subsequently struck by a second, northbound train moving at 35 miles per hour on the main rail. The collision caused the 22nd and 23rd cars of the northbound train to derail, along with two locomotives.
The 22nd car ruptured on its upper portion and spilled 89 tons of diluted hydrochloric acid.
The railroad’s findings are part of a report it filed with the Federal Railroad Administration. Railroads are required to file the reports following significant accidents. Once filed, the reports are made public on the administration Web site.
Forsberg said the railroad has conducted its own internal investigation to determine why an employee was not stationed to observe the lead of the train as required. The finding is not included in the public report.
The public report indicated that one person was injured in the accident. A railroad worker was exposed to some of the fumes from the spilled car but did not suffer serious injuries, according to Forsberg.
The railroad listed $453,152 in equipment damages and $170,000 in track damages resulting from the mishap. Forsberg said the company also experienced other costs not listed in the report, ranging from fees paid to those assisting at the site to claims brought against it by residents affected by the evacuation.
The accident involved 148 train cars, with two locomotives and 73 cars being derailed. The trains carried five cars with hazardous materials, of which four were damaged or derailed, and one released its contents.
The mishap occurred around 3:30 a.m. and emergency responders in the community went door to door to evacuate residents in the affected area.
The all-clear was not given until around 4 p.m., after the cleanup of the spilled acid was completed.
Forsberg said the railroad investigates all accidents with intentions of learning from them. He pointed out that the railroad has an employee safety record that rivals that of the retail industry, despite the fact that railroad workers routinely deal with large moving equipment.
The report by the BNSF Railway company is not necessarily the last word on the mishap. The Federal Railroad Administration can also provide its own assessment of the accident, according to Steven Kulm, director of public affairs for the administration. He said the administration has not yet filed its final determination.
The Federal Railroad Administration’s report will determine whether any violations of national railroad safety laws were violated. If violations are alleged, the administration could recommend that the railroad pay a fine, according to Kulm.