MICHIGAN, Ind. — A runaway train plowed through NIPSCO’s Michigan City Generating Station Thursday morning, hitting another locomotive before the second locomotive’s engineer narrowly jumped to safety, according to the Michigan City News Dispatch.
The unmanned eastbound diesel-electric engine, known as Big Blue, was pushing six coal cars when it approached the coal drop-off area at about 30 m.p.h. at 7:15 a.m., NIPSCO workers said. The train was operating under a remote-controlled system that has been in place for less than a year, they said.
But the train pushing well in excess of 1.5 million pounds, including the coal, did not respond to radio controls and smashed through the enclosed thaw shed and coal rotary dumper. Workers said the standard procedure is for the coal trains to travel only 1 m.p.h. within the last 100 yards approaching the rotary dumper.
“The remote control wouldn’t respond. It went right through the rotary dumper and smashed into the other train on the east end,” said an employee of Michigan City’s Generating Station, who asked not to be identified. “He (the engineer of the second locomotive) jumped off and ran away before it was struck.”
The impact sent the second train, known as Old No. 12, about 200 feet, crashing through a fence and uprooting a bumper post intended to halt runaway trains. The wreck also ripped the track’s rails and dislodged No. 12’s snow blade, similar to the old-style cow catchers.
A company official said the accident was caused by a malfunctioning switch, making no reference to the remote control system.
“There was a switch malfunction that controls and stops the locomotive that brings in coal,” explained NiSource spokesman Bill Keegan. NIPSCO is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NiSource, based in Merrillville. “There was minor damage to the locomotive. It did not affect our operations. There were no injuries, and the appropriate parties are investigating the situation.”
Employees at the plant said they were appalled by the accident, adding the remote-controlled system was not designed for the current engines. They also said two other accidents have occurred at the Michigan City Generating Station’s coal handling department within the last two months. One remnant still is visible, where a coal car is lying on its side.
“The biggest thing here is there really could have been someone killed here,” a 20-year employee said Thursday afternoon, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisals from NIPSCO management. “Luckily, we have some very experienced people out there and they know the hazards”
“We complained about the safety aspects of it,” said another generating station employee requesting anonymity. “The company had a meeting and assured us it was fail-safe.”
That worker said the system was designed so when the remote-controlled engine receives no signal, its brakes should automatically engage.
“If it loses its radio signal, it’s supposed to stop,” he said. “They tried everything they could to stop it, but the train just kept coming.”
Another employee said he recently filed a Safety Reporting Form related to safety issues at another NIPSCO site.
He said NIPSCO management rejected the proposal, saying it was too voluminous.
“They said it had to much commentary and management refused to answer it,” the employee said, also requesting anonymity.
“For the last four to five years, they’ve basically shut down all communications with the union that represents the workers at NIPSCO. ‘It’s our plant, we’ll decide how we’re going to run it,’ that’s been their attitude consistently. What we’re saying is you’re running it in a way that jeopardizes the safety of the workers that work there.
“NIPSCO is not very receptive when it comes to dealing with safety issues these days. It didn’t use to be like that, but that’s where we’re at now. That’s reckless. They have no responsibility for the people who work for them anymore, nor for their customers.”