NTSB Report Provides Probable Cause for Death of East Haven Foreman on Metro-North Track

A report released by the National Transportation Safety Board details the probable cause for the death of a track foreman during an accident on May 28, 2013 in West Haven.

According to the New Haven Register, Robert Luden of East Haven was killed in the accident.

The NTSB report states that the probable cause of the accident was a student rail traffic controller’s removal of signal blocking protection for the track segment occupied by Luden. The failure of Metro-North to use any redundant feature to prevent the failure and the Federal Railroad Administration’s failure to require redundant signal protection contributed to the accident.

At the time of the accident, Luden had been provided with exclusive work area on main track one to level the track from 10:41 a.m. to 4 p.m. According to Metro-North procedures, the track could not be returned to service till the track foreman released the authority back to the rail traffic controller.

The foreman was working with a track supervisor to move a crane the exclusive work area. The crane was positioned on industrial track five where the foreman and supervisor decided to work due to issues with what height the crane could be raised to, requiring the foreman to manually attach rail tongs to the rail on track one.

While the crane operator moved rail from track one to industrial track five, he heard a horn train approaching from the East and tried to warn the foreman by yelling at him to run. The train struck and killed the foreman.

Two rail traffic controllers were found to be responsible for the accident. One was a student rail traffic controller who removed the blocking device from main track one when he heard the foreman say he was in the clear on industrial track five, mistakenly believing he could remove the blocking device. The student rail traffic controller’s supervisor was away from his desk when he removed the blocking device.

There was no involvement of drugs and alcohol in the incident.

Following the incident, the NTSB required redundant redundant signal protection such as shunting to prevent such accidents in the future.

“This report shows in new depth and detail a railroad in disarray, equipment in disrepair and a safety agency in a sleep-like daze. Inspections were missed, and warning signs were disregarded again and again and again. The report is a powerful indictment of the FRA’s lack of oversight and the safety failures at MTA and Metro-North. The painful, shameful truth is that Robert Luden would be alive today if the FRA had been doing its job,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in a statement.

Image via Shutterstock

Have a news tip? Email brian.mccready@patch.com. You can also post your own news, events and announcements on Patch by following these directions. Curious about how our new commenting platform, Disqus, works? Learn more about it here and start interacting with your neighbors on Patch.