TSB Canada reups focus on Watchlist items following report on CP trains collision

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report into a May 2013 collision between two Canadian Pacific trains just east of Dunmore, AB. The TSB said this accident highlights the need for action on two of the TSB's Watchlist issues: following railway signal indications and on-board video and voice recorders.

 

On 18 May 2013, a westbound CP train, approaching Dunmore on the Maple Creek Subdivision, passed a stop signal and struck the side of an eastbound CP train that was leaving Dunmore. Two locomotives and four cars derailed; a number of other cars were damaged, but there was no impact to the environment.

The investigation found that the attention of the crew members on the westward train was likely diverted away from the task of establishing a common understanding of the wayside signals by the demands of other operational tasks. The train was then operated as though the way was clear. Because these occurrences continue to happen, the TSB has called for additional physical safety defenses to ensure that railway signal indications governing operating speed or operating limits are consistently recognized and followed.

The investigation further found that until locomotive in-cab video and voice recorders are installed on lead locomotives, there is a risk that valuable information will continue to be unavailable. Objective data is integral in helping investigators understand the sequence of events leading to an accident and in identifying operational issues and human factors.

That is why the TSB has called on the railway industry to ensure communications in the locomotive cab are recorded,and is committed to working with Transport Canada and the industry to remove any legislative barriers that would prevent the installation of these devices.

CP reviewed the report and said it is fully supportive of the TSB’s conclusion with respect to cab monitoring technology. In a release the railroad says it ” applauds the TSB’s call for the implementation of cab monitoring technology both for post-accident analysis and its use during in-train operations to prevent accidents.”

“The technology has proven effective in analyzing the cause of railroad accidents, but its true value is in preventing incidents in the first place,” said Keith Creel, CP president and chief operating officer. “We reiterate our call for the correct implementation of this tool, which has lowered the frequency of collisions by almost half in similar industries.”

Immediately following the incident, CP took the appropriate actions to address the primary cause of this accident.

Safety is the highest priority at CP, the railroad says, where the top causes of safety failures are studied and understood and the company’s robust safety culture drives a constant system-wide evaluation of application of best practices.

 

 

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