On October 19, 2025, about 9:32 a.m. local time, a BNSF Railway (BNSF) conductor was fatally injured after being hit by a passing train in Columbus, Montana. The conductor was part of a crew assigned to operate a westbound BNSF freight train that was parked on the Columbus siding and secured with hand brakes. The siding runs next to the main track near milepost 40.1 on BNSF’s MRL Second Subdivision. While releasing hand brakes and walking east alongside the train, the conductor stepped into (or entered) the space of the main track and was struck by an eastbound BNSF empty grain-train.
We determined that the probable cause of the conductor fatality on October 19, 2025, when a BNSF Railway conductor was struck by a passing train while fouling the main track, was the lack of a requirement for train crews to establish on-track safety on an adjacent track when on the ground and positioned in a location with a high risk of fouling. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate job safety briefing between the crew members that did not identify the hazards of the work location and the lack of communication with the train dispatcher to identify hazards and prevent conflicts with train movements.
Railroad conductors face the risk of death or injury when working near live tracks where train movement is authorized. When inspecting railcars or preparing railcars for movement, conductors often work on the ground near adjacent live tracks. An adjacent live track, which may only be a few feet away from the conductor’s location on the ground, can be dangerous because the conductor can accidentally foul the live track.
To call attention to the risks posed when railroad employees are required to work near live tracks, the NTSB issued a
safety alert, Know the Risk of Working Near Live Tracks in September 2026 discussing the steps conductors and railroads can take to be safe while working near live tracks.
