This information is preliminary and subject to change.
Release date 24 July 2025
On June 26, 2025, about 5:00 p.m. local time, an R.J. Corman Railway Group conductor was seriously injured during a railcar switching operation at Guthrie Yard in Guthrie, Kentucky. [1]The conductor was working with an engineer to separate a bad order railcar from a block of 13 railcars and move it onto a siding track east of the main track when he was struck and pinned between the couplers of the standing railcars and the bad order railcar. [2] The conductor suffered a serious injury to his left foot. Visibility conditions at the time of the accident were clear, unobstructed, and sunny. The weather was 91°F with no precipitation.
Before the accident, about 6:30 a.m., the R.J. Corman train crew—consisting of a conductor and an engineer—began their shift. Their task was to bring local train MG 20 consisting of 13 railcars to Guthrie Yard. After arriving at the yard, the crew had to separate a bad order railcar from the remaining railcars and place it on a siding track. First, the two-person crew was to cut away 4 of the 13 railcars, then pull the remaining 9 railcars north of the switch and then reverse south onto the siding track where they were to set out the bad order railcar.[3]
When the crew arrived at the switch, they saw two standing railcars on the siding. The conductor then threw the switch that allowed access to the siding track. He then instructed the engineer to begin a reverse move of a count of 4 railcars. During the movement, the conductor saw that the bad order railcar was about to couple with the standing cars and noticed that the knuckle on the standing car looked misaligned. The conductor used his left foot in an attempt to push the knuckle into alignment.[4] The conductor’s left foot was crushed in between the couplers of the standing railcars and the bad order railcar.
The conductor immediately radioed the engineer to stretch the train to release his pinned foot. As he was making the call for help, another employee heard the distress call on the radio and came to the conductor’s aid. R.J. Corman officials notified 911, and emergency responders arrived shortly thereafter. First responders provided initial medical care and transported the injured conductor to a Nashville hospital; he was released several days later.
While on scene, National Transportation Safety Board investigators examined the track and railcar equipment, reviewed event recorder data, conducted interviews, and requested R.J. Corman Railroad Company's policies and procedures.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation is ongoing. Future investigative activity will focus on R.J. Corman’s training, internal oversight, federal oversight, and other accidents in which injuries or fatalities have occurred near the end of the work shift.
Parties to the investigation include the Federal Railroad Administration and the R.J. Corman Railway Group.
[1] All times in this report are local.
[2] (a) A bad order railcar refers to a railcar that has a mechanical defect or a safety violation, requiring repair before it can continue in service. (b) A siding track is a secondary track connected to the main line, used for storing trains, enabling trains to pass each other, or facilitating loading and unloading of freight.
[3] (a) Railway switches are mechanical devices that allow trains to be guided from one track to another. (b) To set out means to remove a railcar (or multiple cars) from a train and leave it/them on a siding or track for a specific purpose.
[4] A knuckle is a pivoting hook-like component of a railroad coupler that facilitates the connection between rail cars.
