Authors: U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

Date of Publication:  January 1980

Sponsoring Agency:  U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

Performing Organization:  U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Bureau of Technology

Report No: NTSB-RRS-80-1

Abstract:

The Safety Board has investigated at least 10 accidents during the past 10 years in which serious shortcomings were noted in the procedures used by railroad operating personnel during the emergency. In view of an increasing number of train accidents, the Safety Board undertook this special study to document the reasons for these procedural shortcomings. The study examines accident experience and the rules and procedures which the railroads use for guidance of their train crewmembers, and evaluates the effectiveness of existing procedures.

A major conclusion of the study was that the rules which almost all railroads use for guidance of their train crewmembers during emergencies do not establish lines of authority, task identification, task scheduling or task assignment. Two recommendations were made to the FRA for corrective action and one previously made recommendation was reiterated.
 

No. of Pages:  18