(Source: National Transportation Safety Board press release, May 5, 2021)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On April 7, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. local time, a BNSF Railway (BNSF) conductor was killed while dropping off and picking up cars in an industry facility outside of Louisiana, Missouri. The train, BNSF Local 837, consisted of two locomotives, 21 cars, and a modified flat car. The train crew consisted of one engineer, one conductor, and one brakeman. Immediately before the accident, the engineer was moving the train southeast on a Dyno Nobel, Inc. industrial track at a speed less than 9 mph with the conductor controlling the movement with the engineer by radio while standing on the ground. The brakeman was riding the north side of the eighth railcar.
Preliminary information indicates that during the movement, radio communication between the conductor and the locomotive engineer ceased. The engineer stopped the movement, at which point the brakeman observed the conductor lying on the ground next to the rail on the south side of the car.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigative team examined the accident location, collected and gathered preliminary information, conducted interviews, and obtained drone video footage of an accident reenactment conducted while on-scene.
The NTSB’s investigation into this accident is ongoing. Future investigative activity will focus on causal factors and railroad worker safety in industrial facilities.
Parties to the investigation include the Federal Railroad Administration, BNSF, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers.
More details are available at the link above.