The 2011 Saxony-Anhalt train accident occurred on January 29, 2011, when a freight train and a passenger train collided near Hordorf in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Several carriages derailed in the collision. Ten people were killed, and 23 people were wounded. Initial reports of 33 injured persons were later corrected to 23. Around 200 rescue workers were at the collision site, which is around 125 miles (201 km) south-west of Berlin, the Associated Press reported.
The commuter train with approximately 45 to 50 passengers on board was on a single track at a speed of approximately 62 miles per hour (100 km/h), where it collided with the freight train, which had a speed of about 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). The impact crushed parts of the passenger train. The cause of the accident, which occurred at about 22:30 CET (21:30 UTC), were not immediately known, though an investigation was launched into the incident. The crash caused several cars from the passenger train to derail, while the freight train remained on the track. According to Xinhua, "clothes, magazines, bags, shard of glass and broken seats scattered around the bush near the two trains. On the field whitened with snow and ice, dark red bloodstains and black imprints could be seen where the bodies used to be placed.
Since many people were severely injured, it was considered likely that the death toll could rise in the immediate aftermath of the incident. By 31 January, only two of the dead had been identified, as many of those killed had not had IDs with them. At least some of the people killed were of foreign nationality.
Provided By: wikipedia.org
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Thursday, February 3, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Prosecutors investigate driver in railroad crash
The prosecutors' office in Magdeburg said Monday that it was investigating the 41-year-old driver on suspicion of negligent homicide and bodily injury caused by negligence and endangerment of railroad traffic.
The office said witnesses told investigators the driver may have run through a stop signal and caused the crash.
Police said 10 of the 23 injured have been released from hospital, and a criminal investigation of the accident site in Hordorf has been finished. They said among the injured were two Georgians, one Portuguese and one Brazilian citizen.
Story provided by: taiwannews.com.tw
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Great Train Hoist: Derailed Train Re-railed
It took roughly three hours Thursday afternoon to re-rail a New Canaan branch train that slid into and over a bumper stop in New Canaan Station Wednesday night.
The train was scheduled to arrive at the station at 12:27 a.m. According to Metro-North Railroad spokeswoman Marjorie Anders, the engineer was facing white-out conditions entering the station, and when he attempted to bring the five-car train to a stop it slid on icy rails. The two leading wheels continued past the end of the track and onto the ground.
The train tore away the bumper stop, but did not reach Park Street.
A Metro-North wreck crew from North White Plains, N.Y., began the task of re-railing the two wheels at around 12:30 p.m.
Using a crane to lift the affected car, they aligned the derailed wheels with the track. A diesel-electric locomotive coupled to the other end of the train then gradually pulled it forward until the wheels were over the rails and the crane could lower them back onto the track.
Metro-North officials at the scene reported the wheels were re-railed at 2:10 p.m.
Anders said two passengers were on the train at the time of the accident and there were no injuries to them or the train crew.
The derailed car sustained major damage. A Metro-North employee at the scene said that after the lead car slid into and over the bumper stop, the jagged ends of the stop pierced the floor of the car. As a result, a railroad employee had to climb under the train and use a cutting torch to remove portions of the stop dug into the car's undercarriage.
At about 3:30 p.m., two diesel-locomotives pulled the train out of the station and towed it the railroad’s heavy repairs shop in Stamford.
Anders noted that, unfortunately, the damaged car is part of an M-6 triplet, meaning the accident caused the loss of three cars when the railroad is having difficulty finding enough cars to meet its schedules.
Anders said the train’s data recorder will be read, and its contents will be examined as part of Metro-North’s investigation of the accident.
Story provided by: newcanaan.patch.com
The train was scheduled to arrive at the station at 12:27 a.m. According to Metro-North Railroad spokeswoman Marjorie Anders, the engineer was facing white-out conditions entering the station, and when he attempted to bring the five-car train to a stop it slid on icy rails. The two leading wheels continued past the end of the track and onto the ground.
The train tore away the bumper stop, but did not reach Park Street.
A Metro-North wreck crew from North White Plains, N.Y., began the task of re-railing the two wheels at around 12:30 p.m.
Using a crane to lift the affected car, they aligned the derailed wheels with the track. A diesel-electric locomotive coupled to the other end of the train then gradually pulled it forward until the wheels were over the rails and the crane could lower them back onto the track.
Metro-North officials at the scene reported the wheels were re-railed at 2:10 p.m.
Anders said two passengers were on the train at the time of the accident and there were no injuries to them or the train crew.
The derailed car sustained major damage. A Metro-North employee at the scene said that after the lead car slid into and over the bumper stop, the jagged ends of the stop pierced the floor of the car. As a result, a railroad employee had to climb under the train and use a cutting torch to remove portions of the stop dug into the car's undercarriage.
At about 3:30 p.m., two diesel-locomotives pulled the train out of the station and towed it the railroad’s heavy repairs shop in Stamford.
Anders noted that, unfortunately, the damaged car is part of an M-6 triplet, meaning the accident caused the loss of three cars when the railroad is having difficulty finding enough cars to meet its schedules.
Anders said the train’s data recorder will be read, and its contents will be examined as part of Metro-North’s investigation of the accident.
Story provided by: newcanaan.patch.com
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Railroad crackdown results in eight citations for trespassing
OPELOUSAS — St. Landry Parish authorities issued eight citations and issued three warnings for trespassing on railroad property, officials said Wednesday.
The crackdown was part of a joint effort by the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office, Union Pacific Railroad Police and the nonprofit Operation Lifesaver.
The citations were issued to motorists who allegedly failed to obey railroad crossing signals, or were in violation of safety laws at non-crossing railroad property, St. Landry Parish Capt. Jimmy Darbonne said.
"We're not doing this to write tickets," Darbonne said. "We're doing this to make people aware of the dangers of disobeying railroad signals, or walking on railroad tracks. They can get killed."
St. Landry Parish is one of 12 "target parishes" in Louisiana, because of the prevalence of train-related accidents here, said Pat Edwards, executive director and state coordinator for Louisiana Operation Lifesaver. From 2005 to 2009, there were 23 train-vehicle crashes in the parish, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Louisiana ranked sixth nationally in train-vehicle crashes. In the first 10 months of 2010, there were 93 such accidents in the state, with 13 fatalities and 54 injuries.
As for trespassing incidents — accidents on railroad tracks and property not at crossings — there were nine fatalities with six injured in the state.
Since 2005, the parish has made a concerted effort to increase awareness and education and, in turn, make railroad areas safer.
"We go everywhere from preschools to nursing homes, and we have a program for every age group," said St. Landry Parish Detective Eddie Thibodeaux. "We're just trying to make people aware of the dangers."
Darbonne said unmarked, unlit rail crossings are the most dangerous. He spent 22 years as a trooper in the Louisiana State Police, and has worked more than his share of train crashes.
"I was rising on one of these Operation Lifesaver events years ago, and the train hit a vehicle that tried to outrun it. It was terrible."
Operation Lifesaver is national, nonprofit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way.
Operation Lifesaver promotes education for public awareness at crossings, enforcement of the traffic laws relating to crossings, and Engineering for continued research and innovation to improve the safety of railroad crossings.
Operation Lifesaver checkpoints occur quarterly in the parish.
Violations of state law governing incidents on railroad tracks can carry up to 90 days in jail and fines of up to $500.
Story provided by: dailyworld.com
The citations were issued to motorists who allegedly failed to obey railroad crossing signals, or were in violation of safety laws at non-crossing railroad property, St. Landry Parish Capt. Jimmy Darbonne said.
"We're not doing this to write tickets," Darbonne said. "We're doing this to make people aware of the dangers of disobeying railroad signals, or walking on railroad tracks. They can get killed."
St. Landry Parish is one of 12 "target parishes" in Louisiana, because of the prevalence of train-related accidents here, said Pat Edwards, executive director and state coordinator for Louisiana Operation Lifesaver. From 2005 to 2009, there were 23 train-vehicle crashes in the parish, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Louisiana ranked sixth nationally in train-vehicle crashes. In the first 10 months of 2010, there were 93 such accidents in the state, with 13 fatalities and 54 injuries.
As for trespassing incidents — accidents on railroad tracks and property not at crossings — there were nine fatalities with six injured in the state.
Since 2005, the parish has made a concerted effort to increase awareness and education and, in turn, make railroad areas safer.
"We go everywhere from preschools to nursing homes, and we have a program for every age group," said St. Landry Parish Detective Eddie Thibodeaux. "We're just trying to make people aware of the dangers."
Darbonne said unmarked, unlit rail crossings are the most dangerous. He spent 22 years as a trooper in the Louisiana State Police, and has worked more than his share of train crashes.
"I was rising on one of these Operation Lifesaver events years ago, and the train hit a vehicle that tried to outrun it. It was terrible."
Operation Lifesaver is national, nonprofit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way.
Operation Lifesaver promotes education for public awareness at crossings, enforcement of the traffic laws relating to crossings, and Engineering for continued research and innovation to improve the safety of railroad crossings.
Operation Lifesaver checkpoints occur quarterly in the parish.
Violations of state law governing incidents on railroad tracks can carry up to 90 days in jail and fines of up to $500.
Story provided by: dailyworld.com
CSX to Invest $2 Billion to Strengthen Its Rail Network
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CSX Corporation will invest $2 billion to increase the quality, flexibility and capacity of its rail network, the company announced as part of its quarterly and full-year earnings report today. That's on top of the $1.8 billion the company invested in 2010, a year in which operating income was $3.1 billion.
"CSX believes in the ability of the U.S. economy to continue growing and is committed to supporting its customers as that occurs," said Michael J. Ward, CSX chairman, president and chief executive officer. "This is an important time for CSX and other companies to take stock in what we need to do together to drive growth and increase U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace while creating jobs."
The company also said today that it will increase employment by one to two percent in 2011 as business levels continue to return in an improving economy. CSX currently employs 30,000 people who earn highly competitive wages and benefits.
CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is a leading transportation company providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company's transportation network spans approximately 21,000 miles with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports.
Story provided by: usrailroadnews.com
"CSX believes in the ability of the U.S. economy to continue growing and is committed to supporting its customers as that occurs," said Michael J. Ward, CSX chairman, president and chief executive officer. "This is an important time for CSX and other companies to take stock in what we need to do together to drive growth and increase U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace while creating jobs."
The company also said today that it will increase employment by one to two percent in 2011 as business levels continue to return in an improving economy. CSX currently employs 30,000 people who earn highly competitive wages and benefits.
CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is a leading transportation company providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company's transportation network spans approximately 21,000 miles with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports.
Story provided by: usrailroadnews.com
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Injured Railroad Workers Face Challenges When Hurt on the Job
Injured Railroad Workers Face Challenges When Hurt on the Job
Railroad employees often perform dangerous work in environments rife with potential for disaster. In the early 1900s, work conditions for rail employees were so hazardous that Congress passed the Federal Employment Liability Act, commonly known as FELA. FELA provides a uniform system of safety expectations and legal redress for railroad workers injured on the job.
However, a recent investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Star Tribune and nonprofit journalism organization ProPublica found that injured railway workers increasingly face significant challenges in obtaining compensation for their injuries. In several lawsuits against a major railroad company for employee injuries, key evidence has been lost or destroyed in the hands of the railroad company.
Federal Employment Liability Act (FELA)
Employees covered by FELA are not covered by the regular workers' compensation statute. Instead, rail workers injured on the job must pursue a claim for legal compensation through FELA.
Through a FELA lawsuit, an injured rail worker may obtain compensation for:
-Past and future medical treatment
-Past and future wage loss
-Past and future pain, suffering and mental distress.
Generally, under workers' compensation, anyone injured while working is compensated, regardless of who was at fault for the injury. Unlike workers' compensation, FELA states that railroad companies are liable for injuries to their employees only if the railroad company was negligent or failed to meet applicable safety standards.
Comparative Negligence for Injured Railroad Workers
In addition, the amount of money an injured rail worker receives for a successful FELA claim is reduced by the worker's percentage of fault in causing the accident. For example, after a trial, a jury may award $100,000 to an injured a railroad worker. Because FELA uses a system called comparative negligence, the jury will then allocate the percentage of fault between the injured worker and the railroad company. If the jury finds the employee is 25 percent at fault, the award will be reduced by 25 percent to $75,000.
Railroad Injury Statistics and Liability Costs
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) operates one of the largest railroad networks in the U.S. The company moves freight throughout the U.S. and Canada, generating $14 billion in revenue in 2009, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune also reported that accidents and work injuries are a significant expense for BNSF; its insurance subsidiary paid more than $100 million each year to resolve legal claims against BNSF from 2007 to 2009.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration, more than 500 people have been killed and almost 1,700 injured in about 4,100 accidents involving BNSF trains or crossings in the last 10 years. BNSF stated that civil judgments against the company were issued in 118 cases over the same time period.
Rail Companies' Legal Misconduct
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and ProPublica injured BNSF employees have encountered significant difficulty in litigation with the railroad company since 2000.
BNSF or its lawyers have been cited for legal misconduct in 13 cases involving train collisions or workplace injuries, primarily for obstructive discovery practices including losing, withholding or destroying evidence. In four cases, judges declared mistrials or ordered new trials because the company or its lawyers had engaged in significant misconduct.
One example of losing evidence comes from a Kansas case, in which BNSF was accused of removing evidence from an accident scene where a company brakeman was severely injured when hit by a train. Two BNSF crew members testified during trial that a supervisor said he would keep an oncoming train out of the work area. BNSF claimed that the crew was never told the train would be held, and it faulted the brakeman for stepping into the train's path.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, BNSF did not locate the brakeman's two-way radio the night of the accident and then later lost the radio when someone found it and turned it in. Since one of the key issues in the case was the brakeman's location was when he struck, having the radio would have helped accident-reconstruction experts determine where exactly he was. In addition to losing this key evidence, BNSF gave conflicting answers as to whether its workers marked the place on the tracks where the train stopped, which also would have assisted with the accident reconstruction.
Another example of lost evidence comes from a case in Missouri, in which BNSF lost the ladder involved in an employee accident. A worker was cleaning windows in a locomotive shop when he claimed his ladder collapsed, requiring him to have back surgery and take narcotics for chronic pain.
During the trial, BNSF offered another ladder as evidence to prove the ladder was in safe working condition. After the injured cleaner testified that the substitute ladder was completely different from the ladder he was using at the time of his injury, the judge refused to allow it as evidence, reported the newspaper. The jury awarded the worker $5.5 million, an award that was later upheld by the Missouri Court of Appeals.
BNSF is not the only railroad company cited for misconduct in legal proceedings. According to a 2004 New York Times report, Union Pacific was sanctioned seven times for destroying or failing to preserve evidence from July 2001 to January 2003.
As the Minneapolis Star Tribune and ProPublica investigation demonstrates, lawsuits against railroad companies can be challenging. Therefore, the assistance of a lawyer experienced in FELA claims and railroad injury cases is invaluable. If you or a loved one has been injured while working for a railroad company, contact an attorney experienced in handling FELA claims to discuss your legal options.
Story provided by: auto-mobi.info
Railroad employees often perform dangerous work in environments rife with potential for disaster. In the early 1900s, work conditions for rail employees were so hazardous that Congress passed the Federal Employment Liability Act, commonly known as FELA. FELA provides a uniform system of safety expectations and legal redress for railroad workers injured on the job.
However, a recent investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Star Tribune and nonprofit journalism organization ProPublica found that injured railway workers increasingly face significant challenges in obtaining compensation for their injuries. In several lawsuits against a major railroad company for employee injuries, key evidence has been lost or destroyed in the hands of the railroad company.
Federal Employment Liability Act (FELA)
Employees covered by FELA are not covered by the regular workers' compensation statute. Instead, rail workers injured on the job must pursue a claim for legal compensation through FELA.
Through a FELA lawsuit, an injured rail worker may obtain compensation for:
-Past and future medical treatment
-Past and future wage loss
-Past and future pain, suffering and mental distress.
Generally, under workers' compensation, anyone injured while working is compensated, regardless of who was at fault for the injury. Unlike workers' compensation, FELA states that railroad companies are liable for injuries to their employees only if the railroad company was negligent or failed to meet applicable safety standards.
Comparative Negligence for Injured Railroad Workers
In addition, the amount of money an injured rail worker receives for a successful FELA claim is reduced by the worker's percentage of fault in causing the accident. For example, after a trial, a jury may award $100,000 to an injured a railroad worker. Because FELA uses a system called comparative negligence, the jury will then allocate the percentage of fault between the injured worker and the railroad company. If the jury finds the employee is 25 percent at fault, the award will be reduced by 25 percent to $75,000.
Railroad Injury Statistics and Liability Costs
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) operates one of the largest railroad networks in the U.S. The company moves freight throughout the U.S. and Canada, generating $14 billion in revenue in 2009, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune also reported that accidents and work injuries are a significant expense for BNSF; its insurance subsidiary paid more than $100 million each year to resolve legal claims against BNSF from 2007 to 2009.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration, more than 500 people have been killed and almost 1,700 injured in about 4,100 accidents involving BNSF trains or crossings in the last 10 years. BNSF stated that civil judgments against the company were issued in 118 cases over the same time period.
Rail Companies' Legal Misconduct
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and ProPublica injured BNSF employees have encountered significant difficulty in litigation with the railroad company since 2000.
BNSF or its lawyers have been cited for legal misconduct in 13 cases involving train collisions or workplace injuries, primarily for obstructive discovery practices including losing, withholding or destroying evidence. In four cases, judges declared mistrials or ordered new trials because the company or its lawyers had engaged in significant misconduct.
One example of losing evidence comes from a Kansas case, in which BNSF was accused of removing evidence from an accident scene where a company brakeman was severely injured when hit by a train. Two BNSF crew members testified during trial that a supervisor said he would keep an oncoming train out of the work area. BNSF claimed that the crew was never told the train would be held, and it faulted the brakeman for stepping into the train's path.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, BNSF did not locate the brakeman's two-way radio the night of the accident and then later lost the radio when someone found it and turned it in. Since one of the key issues in the case was the brakeman's location was when he struck, having the radio would have helped accident-reconstruction experts determine where exactly he was. In addition to losing this key evidence, BNSF gave conflicting answers as to whether its workers marked the place on the tracks where the train stopped, which also would have assisted with the accident reconstruction.
Another example of lost evidence comes from a case in Missouri, in which BNSF lost the ladder involved in an employee accident. A worker was cleaning windows in a locomotive shop when he claimed his ladder collapsed, requiring him to have back surgery and take narcotics for chronic pain.
During the trial, BNSF offered another ladder as evidence to prove the ladder was in safe working condition. After the injured cleaner testified that the substitute ladder was completely different from the ladder he was using at the time of his injury, the judge refused to allow it as evidence, reported the newspaper. The jury awarded the worker $5.5 million, an award that was later upheld by the Missouri Court of Appeals.
BNSF is not the only railroad company cited for misconduct in legal proceedings. According to a 2004 New York Times report, Union Pacific was sanctioned seven times for destroying or failing to preserve evidence from July 2001 to January 2003.
As the Minneapolis Star Tribune and ProPublica investigation demonstrates, lawsuits against railroad companies can be challenging. Therefore, the assistance of a lawyer experienced in FELA claims and railroad injury cases is invaluable. If you or a loved one has been injured while working for a railroad company, contact an attorney experienced in handling FELA claims to discuss your legal options.
Story provided by: auto-mobi.info
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Metro may face legal action over train crash
VICTORIA'S transport safety watchdog is considering legal action against rail operator Metro and one of its drivers over a collision near Craigieburn last year in which a Melbourne suburban train rammed into a stationery freight train.
The driver of the suburban train failed to follow signalling rules, which required him to be travelling at 25 km/h - instead of about 60 km/h.
Investigations into the crash by both Public Transport Safety Victoria (PTSV) and the Department of Transport's chief investigator are complete, and may be released as soon as tomorrow.
Metro has already been forced to pay $1.9 million to repair the damage done to the suburban Comeng train that was involved in the crash.
PTSV director Alan Osborne told The Age he was in discussion with barristers about legal action against ''the parties'' involved in the incident.
He said his investigation had focused on ''whether Metro and the driver did the job they should have done in terms of the Rail Safety Act''.
Five of the suburban train's 15 passengers were hospitalised and rail services were stopped for at least two days after the collision in May last year. The outbound Pacific National freight train had stopped at a red light signal near Craigieburn station.
Metro sacked its driver concerned for failing to stop at a red signal, exceeding the 25 km/h speed limit, and for failing to co-operate with the investigation into the crash.
Mr Osborne said he was considering action against ''all parties'', an apparent reference to both the driver and Metro as the operator of the rail system.
''I am not saying I am targeting Metro in any one specific sense but I'm looking very seriously at 'were all the right things done'?''
The Craigieburn crash was one of a series of rail safety scares on the Melbourne network last year. In March last year, after a signalling failure, a Metro train collided with a freight train at Ringwood station. A report released by the chief investigator this week found poor communication among rail staff had contributed to the accident.
A report by Metro in 2009, before it took over from Connex, warned the former Brumby government that Melbourne's poor rail conditions ''have the potential to cause derailment of trains … with catastrophic consequences''.
Story provided by: theage.com.au
The driver of the suburban train failed to follow signalling rules, which required him to be travelling at 25 km/h - instead of about 60 km/h.
Investigations into the crash by both Public Transport Safety Victoria (PTSV) and the Department of Transport's chief investigator are complete, and may be released as soon as tomorrow.
PTSV director Alan Osborne told The Age he was in discussion with barristers about legal action against ''the parties'' involved in the incident.
He said his investigation had focused on ''whether Metro and the driver did the job they should have done in terms of the Rail Safety Act''.
Five of the suburban train's 15 passengers were hospitalised and rail services were stopped for at least two days after the collision in May last year. The outbound Pacific National freight train had stopped at a red light signal near Craigieburn station.
Metro sacked its driver concerned for failing to stop at a red signal, exceeding the 25 km/h speed limit, and for failing to co-operate with the investigation into the crash.
Mr Osborne said he was considering action against ''all parties'', an apparent reference to both the driver and Metro as the operator of the rail system.
''I am not saying I am targeting Metro in any one specific sense but I'm looking very seriously at 'were all the right things done'?''
The Craigieburn crash was one of a series of rail safety scares on the Melbourne network last year. In March last year, after a signalling failure, a Metro train collided with a freight train at Ringwood station. A report released by the chief investigator this week found poor communication among rail staff had contributed to the accident.
A report by Metro in 2009, before it took over from Connex, warned the former Brumby government that Melbourne's poor rail conditions ''have the potential to cause derailment of trains … with catastrophic consequences''.
Story provided by: theage.com.au
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