On March 2, 2024, about 7:11 a.m., eastbound Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) intermodal train NS268H429 collided with the rear of stationary NS intermodal train NS24XH101 on main track 2 on the Allentown Road Subdivision on the Lehigh Line near Easton, Pennsylvania. [1] As a result of the first collision, train NS268H429 derailed three railcars that then fouled the adjacent main track 1.[2] Just over 1 minute later, a second collision occurred when train NS19GH501 struck the derailed equipment while traveling westbound on main track 1. As a result of the second collision, train NS19GH501 derailed six railcars and two locomotives. Three of the six derailed railcars were placarded as hazardous materials tank cars: one containing ethanol residue and two containing butane residue. [3] The tank cars did not breach or release hazardous materials. The two derailed locomotives partially submerged in the Lehigh River and discharged locomotive diesel fuel into the water. Four crewmembers from the accident trains were transported to a local hospital, treated for minor injuries, and released. At the time of the collisions, visibility conditions were daylight and overcast; the weather was 35°F with light rain.
[1] (a) ) Visit ntsb.gov to find additional information in the
public docket for this NTSB accident investigation (case number RRD24FR009), including detailed factual reports about the circumstances of the accident. (b) All times in this report are local times. (c) An
intermodal train carries shipping containers used in intermodal freight transportation. (d) A
mixed freight train includes several types of railcars and commodities.
[2] Fouling a track means the placement of an individual or equipment in such proximity to a track that the individual or equipment could be struck by a moving train or on-track equipment.
The three hazardous materials tank cars were offered for shipment as having last contained UN1170, Ethanol Solutions, a Class 3 flammable liquid in packing group II, and UN1075, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, a Division 2.1 flammable gas, as specified in
Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 172.
We determined the probable cause of the multitrain collision was the failure of the engineer of train NS268H429 to operate his train in accordance with restricted speed requirements and stop before colliding with train NS24XH101.
Contributing to the accident were insufficient safeguards to compensate for human error, including current positive train control systems that do not prevent train-to-train collisions during restricted speed operations.
