BNSF derailment blamed on faulty train track brace
(The following story by Chris Paschenko appeared on The Daily News website on March 21, 2010.)
SANTA FE A 22-car derailment, which spilled oil and prompted evacuations, was caused by a faulty underground railroad track brace, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe official said.
The Feb. 18 derailment in Santa Fe prompted the evacuation of 80 people because first responders were unable to immediately determine whether the tankers contained or leaked hazardous chemicals.
Congressman Gene Green, D-Houston, said he intended to speak with BNSF about a real-time system which rail line CSX has used since 2007 that gives first responders instant access to the companys network operations center and train manifests.
Im generally supportive of any technology that could make transporting cargo safer, Green said.
The system CSX uses gives state officials and Chemtrec, a division of the American Chemistry Council, real-time access to know the whereabouts of tankers containing hazardous chemicals.
BNSF reviewed the option of developing a similar system, company spokesman Joe Faust said.
After consideration by many factions within the company, it has been decided that we will not pursue it, Faust said.
BNSFs system of using its resource operations call center and service interruption desk to communicate with first responders has the advantage of offering a person, not just a document, to emergency responders, Faust said.
The system also can connect police and firefighters with hazardous material teams to aid in gauging an appropriate response, Faust said.
Immediately after the 5:25 a.m. Feb. 18 derailment, Santa Fe firefighters and police had to read placards on the overturned tankers and find the BNSF engineer for a printout of the trains manifest, Santa Fe officials said.
Attempts to learn how long BNSFs system took to notify first responders of the contents of the train were unsuccessful.
BNSF has checked thoroughly the track along state Highway 6 in Santa Fe and found no other deficiencies, Faust said.
The actual cause of this incident was determined to be a heal-block assembly, Faust said. Its under the rail and not something you can see.
Faust didnt immediately know whether the assembly broke from faulty instillation or material failure.
The assembly recently was installed before the derailment and was up for another inspection just 10 days after the incident, Faust said.
The train traveled at 49 mph on the track rated for 55 mph, and speed was not a factor in the cause of the derailment, Faust said.
The incident was the second derailment on that stretch of track since Aug. 22, when 12 Union Pacific cars hauling tankers with trace amounts of hydrofluoric acid derailed 6 miles north of the Feb. 18 incident near city hall.
The primary cause of the Aug. 22 derailment was an irregular cross level within a curve, according to Federal Railroad Administration records.
Attempts to clarify the records through Union Pacific were unsuccessful.
