UNION PACIFIC TRAIN ACCIDENTS

Office of Railroad Safety

ATL 97 FR 005
Rear-End Collision
Union Pacific Railroad
Odem, Texas
February 21, 1997

Synopsis

On February 21, 1997, about 2:08 a.m., central standard time, a Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) northbound freight train 1HGHEM 20 (train EM-20) collided with the rear car of UP northbound freight train BVFW-20 (train BVFW). The rear-end collision occurred on the UP’s Brownsville Subdivision Main Line at mile post (MP) 152.54, near Odem, Texas.

The two rear cars of train BVFW were derailed and the lead locomotive of the striking train was damaged. At the time of the collision it was reported to be foggy with an ambient temperature of 54° F.

Postaccident investigation revealed that the crew of the standing train received an incorrect computerized car count at Kingsville, Texas. When the train arrived at Kingsville, the inbound crew informed the clerk at UP’s National Customer Service Center (NCSC) that the train consisted of 136 cars. The clerk at the NCSC improperly entered in the computer that the train had only 64 cars. As a result of this incorrect information, the outbound crew received an incorrect computer generated car count.

The crew departed Kingsville and arrived at Odem, Texas. Upon arrival the train dispatcher informed the crew that they had cars to set out. The train dispatcher had information that the train was carrying 136 cars. The crew advised the train dispatcher that they only had 64 cars in their train and that they were all through cars. The train dispatcher then instructed the crew to pick up 30 cars destined for Fort Worth, Texas. For some unknown reason neither the crew nor the train dispatcher questioned this discrepancy.

The crew uncoupled the locomotives and the first 5 cars from the train and went onto the yard track that had the 30 cars. This left the rear portion of their train approximately 2,100 feet south of the yard limit sign, which was located at MP 153. At 1:28 a.m., the crew thinking that they only had 64 cars, reported to the train dispatcher that their train was clear of the yard limits at MP 153.

The train dispatcher, after the crew of train BVFW reported their train clear of the main track, gave train EM-20 permission to MP 153.

Train EM-20 was operating at 45 mph approaching the yard limits at Odem, Texas. The engineer made an initial brake pipe reduction with the train brakes in preparation for entering the yard limits. As the train proceeded the crew observed the marker light flashing on the rear car of train BVFW. The engineer placed the train into emergency braking 1,046 feet from the rear end of the stopped train. The crew of train EM-20 jumped from their train at approximately 20 to 25 mph. Both crewmembers of the train received non-life threatening injuries. The crew of the standing train BVFW was not injured.

Injuries to Persons

INJURY TABLE

Injury Type	Train Crew on HGHEM-20	Train Crew on BVFW-20	Others	TOTAL
FATAL	0	0	0	0
SERIOUS	0	0	0	0
MINOR	2	0	0	2
TOTAL	2	0	0	2

Damage

Total damages were estimated at $31,000.

Issues

The potential major safety issues emerging from the investigation of this accident are:

• Union Pacific Railroad management oversight of operating crews;

• Effectiveness of the Union Pacific Railroad efficiency testing program;

• Effectiveness of the Union Pacific Railroads engineer training program.

NTSB Home Page | Union Pacific accident sites