Dispatching errors and the failure of backup systems led to a tragic accident when a Union Pacific train collided with parked railcars in Southern California two years ago, resulting in the death of an engineer and a conductor. The final report by the National Transportation Safety Board highlighted mistakes by dispatchers at the railroad’s headquarters in Omaha as the primary cause of the crash near the Salton Sea in September 2022.
The report revealed that dispatchers routed the train directly into the parked railcars, disregarding warnings from the train crew about the occupied track. One dispatcher even removed a note indicating the track was occupied without confirming its status, while another ignored a separate warning and directed the train into the siding without verification – both actions violating Union Pacific’s rules.
An installed system on the tracks that should have detected the parked railcars failed due to rust accumulation on the track and wheels of the cars during their prolonged idle period. Investigators found inconsistencies in the computer logs before the crash, with parked cars intermittently appearing and disappearing in the system due to the rust-related issues.
Furthermore, Union Pacific’s regulations requiring mechanical locking of switches leading to tracks with long-term stored railcars were not followed at the location of the accident. Following the incident, Union Pacific updated its protocols to prevent similar accidents, such as requiring dispatchers to collaborate with field managers to verify the duration of railcar storage and ensuring maintenance workers take tracks out of service for extended periods.
The railroad emphasized the importance of confirming track clearances before removing occupancy notes from the computer system, aiming to prevent dispatching errors that could lead to tragic incidents like the one in Southern California. Railway safety has been a focal point nationally, particularly following other high-profile accidents that have underscored the importance of adherence to safety protocols and procedures.
