On September 25, 2014, at about 5:44 a.m., eastbound Union Pacific Railroad (UP) train ILXG4X-22, collided with the side of westbound UP train KG4GSX-23 near Galva, Kansas. The westbound train was entering a siding, but it had not cleared the main track when it was struck by the eastbound train.2 Five multi-platform intermodal cars derailed from the westbound train. Two locomotive units and four multi-platform intermodal cars derailed from the eastbound train.3 The UP estimated about 200 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from the fuel tank of one of the derailed locomotives. No crewmembers on either train were seriously injured. No fire resulted from the collision.
We determined that the probable cause of this accident was the green LED signal at CP 207 masking the red signal aspect at the east end of the Galva siding at CP 208, resulting in the crew of eastbound train ILXG4X-22 passing the red stop signal and colliding with westbound train KG4GSX-23. Contributing to the accident was the Union Pacific Railroad’s failure to conduct a risk assessment of the new control point installation at CP 207.
