WASHINGTON — A conductor at an Illinois short line was killed when he was pulled off his train by the gate he was attempting to open while entering an industrial track, according to the final report on a November 2020 accident issued Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The 35-year-old conductor of the Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad was killed on the morning of Nov. 11, 2020, as his train switched the Cabot Corp. silica plant in Ficklin, Ill., an unincorporated area near the town of Tuscola [see “Digest: Illinois short line conductor killed …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 12, 2020]. The NTSB report indicates the victim attempted to open the gate without stopping and dismounting from the train; surveillance video showed he grabbed the end of the gate with his hand and was pulled onto the track, where he was struck by the train.
The report indicates the attempt to open the gate without stop violated both the General Code of Operating Rules and company rules of Watco, which owns the Decatur & Eastern Illinois. As a result of the accident, railroad management conducted safety briefings emphasizing GCOR rules on shoving rules and safety rules for riding on moving equipment; the railroad also increased employee efficiency testing. The accident also led the Switching Operations Fatality Analsis Working Group to issue an industry-wide alert reminding employees to be vigilant to avoid close- or no-clearance hazards.
Share this article
