(Reuters circulated the following article on July 26.)
WASHINGTON — U.S. crash investigators blamed a fatal Amtrak crash last year in Mississippi on the failure of freight railroad Canadian National Railway Co. (CNR.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) to properly maintain and inspect its tracks.
The City of New Orleans was traveling at 78 mph (126 kph) when it passed over misaligned track and derailed near Flora, Mississippi, on April 6, 2004. The locomotive, a baggage car and eight passenger cars left the tracks. One person was killed.
Investigators determined that improper track work caused a section of rail to shift laterally, resulting in a gap that could not accommodate the wheels of the passenger train.
The safety board expressed concerns with CN’s track maintenance and inspection procedures as well as Amtrak’s emergency response and Federal Railroad Administration oversight.
“Rules and regulations exist to promote safety. What we have here is less than adequate work done by both Canadian National and the FRA and sadly it resulted in a fatal accident,” said Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the safety board.
Canadian National said it would review the safety board findings. A spokesman, Mark Hallman, said the company “deeply regretted” the incident, and added that the railroad has strengthened its employee training and oversight of rail maintenance and inspection.