By Associated Press
Lincoln AL – Glare from the sun led a conductor to misread a caution signal just before his locomotive slammed into the back of a stopped train at about 50 mph in Alabama last year, according to a report Monday from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The fiery crash near Lincoln injured three crew members and forced several thousand people to evacuate or take shelter from potentially noxious chemicals spewing from a blaze that lasted for hours and could be seen some 40 miles away in Birmingham.
Earlier this month, more than 1,000 people joined in a settlement of a lawsuit against the train operator, Norfolk Southern Railway.
According to the NTSB report, the stopped train which was being operated by a student engineer had been directed to pull over to a siding track to allow the other train to pass. But the stopped train did not completely clear the switch circuit, leaving the main track diverted onto the siding track, the report said.
As the following train approached at about 53 mph, the track signals displayed a red caution light. But the conductor and engineer in the speeding train said they saw a "green over red" signal, with both the green and red lights illuminated. Since they had heard radio conversations indicating that the earlier train had pulled over, they continued at full speed, the report said.
In investigating the Jan. 18, 2006, crash, NTSB investigators said glare from the sun made the green signal appear illuminated in late afternoon, when the crash occurred. But they said there is no such thing as a "green over red" signal, so the conductor should have interpreted the mixed signal as a malfunction to be treated with utmost caution.
The safety board recommended that Norfolk Southern better train its employees in handling errant signals. The report also said a positive control system on the train could have prevented the accident by intervening when the crew did not respond appropriately.
A spokeswoman for Norfolk Southern said the company is still reviewing the report.
The settlement in the lawsuit requests awards ranging from $125 to $250 per household, or $90 per person, depending upon which class plaintiffs fall under. The classes are divided by whether residents were evacuated, had the potential to be exposed to hazards or had homes in the evacuation or potential exposure zone.
Some area residents have opted out of the settlement, saying the proposed payments are too small and could delay building a road needed for an improved evacuation route.
________
On the Net: NTSB letter to Norfolk Southern:
http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2007/R07_29.pdf