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Deaths, injuries reported after Amtrak, CSX trains collide in South Carolina

1 AP 23893094

Lexington County emergency officials responding to the scene where an Amtrak train collided with a CSX freight train in Cayce, South Carolina early Sunday morning.  (Lexington Sheriff)

At least two people were killed early Sunday when an Amtrak passenger train collided with a CSX freight train in South Carolina.

About 50 people were transported from the scene with injuries, according to the Lexington County Sheriff's Office.

The collision occured about 2:35 a.m. in Cayce, S.C., near Charleston Highway and Pine Ridge Road, authorities said.

The Amtrak train was No. 91, traveling between New York and Miami. The Amtrak train's lead engine derailed, as did some passenger cars, an Amtrak statement said.

The passenger train had eight crew members and approximately 139 passengers aboard.

No immediate information was available about the CSX train.

South Carolina's Red Cross chapter tweeted that emergency responders were at the scene.

Online posts referred to "walking wounded" passengers seen walking along the tracks.

Source: AP

Gary

 

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Steims posted:

Not trying to jump to any conclusions but seeking to understand how this happened.  A study of Google maps at the crash site looks like Amtrak may have been switched over to the siding where the CSX was sitting.  The main tracks look like they are the rails to the left (south) of the CSX freight. 

Good Morning: Fellow Member Steims

Can you please supply the Google Maps Link or a Screenshot of this area of the tracks?  So we can have a better understanding.

Just saw your link: Sorry

Map of Crash Site

Thanks: Gary

Last edited by trainroomgary

From the article linked to above, it may  be an issue of the system being disconnected, so the AMTRAK never got the signal.

Again, just from the new article..

 

"The CSX train was sitting on a side line known as the industry line, according to a source familiar with the matter. A switch that was supposed to send the Amtrak train down the cleared main line was not in the proper position and sent it down the industry line instead, the source said.

Typically, an automatic signal would have warned that the switch was in the wrong position, instructing the engineer to slow down. However, a crew had recently been working on the system in that area, and it may have been shut off when the incident occurred, the source said."

EscapeRocks posted: 

"The CSX train was sitting on a side line known as the industry line, according to a source familiar with the matter. A switch that was supposed to send the Amtrak train down the cleared main line was not in the proper position and sent it down the industry line instead, the source said.

Typically, an automatic signal would have warned that the switch was in the wrong position, instructing the engineer to slow down. However, a crew had recently been working on the system in that area, and it may have been shut off when the incident occurred, the source said."

Don’t railroads use some form of “Lock Out-Tag Out” when any work is done in rail yards?

Transportation disasters typically are never caused by a single event.  The systems we have tend to involve an element of human error and mechanical/electrical failures.  This event sure sounds like a dispatcher threw the switch not knowing the Amtrak was southbound and then the (known) signal failures failed to warn the Amtrak what was ahead.   I suspect the Amtrak engineer started braking as soon as he saw the switch thrown but there was not enough distance to stop. 

Thoughts and prayers go out. 

Last edited by Steims
Steims posted:

Transportation disasters typically are never caused by a single event.  The systems we have tend to involve and element of human error and mechanical/electrical failures.  This event sure sounds like a dispatcher threw the switch

How do you know it was a "power switch", controlled by a Dispatcher?

not knowing the Amtrak was southbound and then the (known) signal failures failed to warn the Amtrak what was ahead. 

How do you know it was a "signal failure"?

 I suspect the Amtrak engineer started braking as soon as he saw the switch thrown but there was not enough distance to stop. 

Thoughts and prayers go out. 

 

Amtrak is have a terrible run of bad luck.  The Washington State accident may or not be Amtrak's fault.  The West Virginia charter train hitting a garbage truck and this appears to be just awful timing and luck.  My heartfelt condolences go to the families of all those that were killed and injured.  These things shouldn't happen in the 21st century.

NH Joe

What a shame. NTSB report should be interesting. The one thing I'm wondering is if the Amtrak engineer applied the brakes when he realized the train was sent into the industrial siding. I'm sure at the speed they were going it didn't take long to see the CSX train in their path but by then it must've been too late. Did CSX confirm that signal maintenance was going on in that stretch of track?

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