Release Date 24 March 2026
On February 23, 2026, about 11:15 a.m., an Amtrak roadway worker was fatally struck by eastbound Amtrak snow patrol train KP2022 on main track 1 of the Philadelphia-Harrisburg Line in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.[1] The accident occurred in the vicinity of the High Steel Industries facility, where a three‑person Amtrak roadway maintenance work group was assigned to remove snow and ice from a switch following a winter storm. Visibility conditions at the time of the accident were daylight and overcast, with no precipitation; the temperature was 35°F.
Amtrak train KP2022 was a non‑revenue snow patrol train and consisted of two locomotives in a push–pull configuration and one passenger car. The train originated in Philadelphia and was serving to clear ice from the catenary wires between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in preparation for the restoration of regular passenger service following a snowstorm.[2] The train crew consisted of an engineer positioned in the lead locomotive and a conductor positioned in the passenger car. The three‑person roadway maintenance work group included a designated watchman, the foreman who was clearing snow from a switch, and a third employee who was in a truck positioned approximately 700 feet from the site.
Before the accident, about 11:12 a.m., the train departed Lancaster Station eastbound on main track 1. The fatally injured employee (the foreman of the work crew) was clearing snow from a switch using a gas‑powered leaf blower on the same track. At the time of the accident, the roadway maintenance work group was using train approach warning as its method of on‑track safety.[3]
Just prior to the accident, the engineer, as he was operating the train through the work area, observed an individual standing in the foul of the track at the switch.[4] At 11:15:54, the engineer sounded the locomotive horn and placed the train into emergency braking. At 11:15:57, the train was traveling at approximately 87 mph when it struck the foreman who was clearing the snow.[5]
All aspects of the collision remain under investigation while the National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause with the intent to issue safety recommendations to prevent similar events.
Parties to the investigation include:
- the Federal Railroad Administration;
- Amtrak;
- the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen;
- the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers; and
- the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division.[6]
[1] (a) All times in this report are local. (b) The Philadelphia-Harrisburg Line is a 104‑mile, Amtrak‑owned and electrified route. The line operates with two main tracks between Harrisburg and Paoli. East of Paoli, the railroad expands to four main tracks approaching Philadelphia.
[2] A catenary system is an overhead network of energized wires that supplies electric power to propel trains equipped with a pantograph. The pantograph is a mechanical arm on an electric locomotive that contacts the catenary’s energized contact wire to transmit electricity to the locomotive.
[3] Train approach warning is a method of establishing on-track safety by warning roadway workers of the approach of trains in sufficient time for them to move to or remain in a place of safety. (49 CFR 214 definitions and 49 CFR 214.329).
[4] In the foul refers to being in such proximity to a track that an individual, tools, or equipment could be struck by a moving train or other on-track equipment, or in any case, is within 4 feet of the nearest running rail.
[5] The maximum authorized speed for passenger trains at this location is 110 mph.
[6] The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division spells “employees” with one “e.”
