(The following story by Gregory Richards appeared on The Virginian-Pilot website on November 27.)
NORFOLK, Va. — Reflecting sunlight that appeared to illuminate green in a train control signal led one Norfolk Southern Corp. freight train to collide with another in Alabama in January 2006, a federal agency said Monday.
Crew members in the first train saw the green light and mistakenly thought they had clearance to proceed. Traveling about 50 mph, the train slammed into the rear of another Norfolk Southern train stopped on a side track, according to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The fiery crash near Lincoln injured three crew members and forced the evacuation of about 500 homes. The train was carrying sodium cyanide, which can form a highly toxic gas. However, no hazardous chemicals could be detected in the air, state officials said at the time.
According to the Monday’s report, the stopped train – which was being operated by a student engineer – was clear of the main track. But it still was inside the switch circuit, causing the switch to remain lined up for the siding and nearby signals to tell approaching trains to first slow and then stop.
As Norfolk Southern train 226A117 chugged toward the siding, its engineer and conductor said they thought they saw a “green over red” signal. They proceeded, although two lights in the same signal of this type shouldn’t be on, said the board, which is responsible for investigating transportation accidents. The trains subsequently collided.
Tests done by the safety board showed that at the time of day that train 226A117 passed the signal, sunlight reflecting off the signal optics caused the green light to appear lit even though it was not turned on.
The board recommended Norfolk Southern and all other railroads modify their crew training and operating procedures. Train employees should be taught that when extra lights appear lit in a signal head, it should be treated as an error, with caution taken. Norfolk Southern spokesman Robin Chapman said the railroad is reviewing the recommendation and will answer within the 90-day response period. The safety board does not have the authority to compel action.
Earlier this month, more than 1,000 people joined in a settlement of a lawsuit against Norfolk-based Norfolk Southern stemming from the crash. The settlement requests rewards ranging from $125 to $250 per household, depending on whether residents were evacuated, had the potential to be exposed to hazards and other circumstances.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)