RAILROAD ACCIDENT REPORT: NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION (AMTRAK) HEAD-END COLLISION OF TRAIN NO. 111 AND PLASSER TRACK MACHINE EQUIPMENT, EDISON, NEW JERSEY, APRIL 20, 1979

About 12:03 p.m., e.s.t., on April 20, 1979, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) passenger train No. 111 collided head-on with an Amtrak Plasser track machine at Edison, New Jersey. The track machine was destroyed, and the locomotive was heavily damaged. The lead truck of the passenger car behind the locomotive derailed. Seventy-one persons were treated for minor injuries, and one passenger and one onboard attendant were admitted to the hospital. Total property damage was about $353,600. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of (1) the train dispatcher to issue proper orders and to secure the route for the movement of the track machine and (2) a block operator to secure the traffic direction and route for the movement of the track machine. Contributing to the accident was the failure of several block operators to comply with operating instructions by permitting the track machine to proceed without securing proper authority. Also contributing to the accident was the operation of a passenger train with an inoperative radio.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  Bureau of Accident Investigation, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1979-9-13

Media Info

• Pagination: 31 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic train protection; Block signal systems; Cab signals; Crash investigation; Crashes; Electric locomotives; High speed rail; Injuries; Loss and damage; Machines; Maintenance of way; Operating rules; Passenger trains; Passenger transportation; Radio; Railroad tracks; Railroad trains; Railroad transportation; Supervision; Training
• Identifier Terms: Amtrak
• Geographic Terms: New Jersey; Northeast Corridor; Northeastern United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Block systems; Dispatchers's tasks; Track maintenance equipment; Train radio
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Passenger Transportation; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00312549
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB-RAR-79-10
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 7 1980 12:00AM