NTSB Releases Final Report on R.J. Corman Railway Group Conductor Injury

An aerial view of the accident site. (Courtesy NTSB)

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– The National Transportation Safety Board recently released its final report regarding an incident involving an R.J. Corman Railway Group Conductor who received a serious injury during work activity.

According to the report, which you can read and download below, an R.J. Corman Railway Group Conductor received a serious injury during railcar switching at Guthrie Yard in Guthrie, Ky., on June 26, 2025, about 5:00 p.m. local time. The conductor, while working with an engineer remove a damaged railcar from a block of 13 rail cars, noticed that the coupler was out of alignment on a car they needed to couple with a cut of cars to perform the switching move. The conductor tried to push the coupler back in alignment with his foot by placed his foot between. He did this after instructing the engineer to begin shoving a cut of cars toward the standing car. During this move, the conductor’s foot slipped and was crushed between the coupler of the moving train and the coupler of the standing car.

The conductor said he believed the moving train was about 15 feet from the standing car when he saw the coupler was out of alignment. He said that he was trying to expedite the switching move by kicking the coupler because he was trying to get out of the heat, as it was hot (91°F measured at a nearby airport) and it was nearing the end of the day.

The conductor acknowledged to investigators that he violated company safety rules regarding this type of move. The safety rules are:

• must have a minimum of 50 feet of separation between equipment,
• must obtain three-step protection before adjusting a coupler, and
• must not kick a coupler (knuckle)

The NTSB concluded that “To prevent similar accidents in the future, the railroad industry must increase vigilance through enhanced supervision and other safety protocols such as increased hydration and rest during extreme weather conditions. It is critical that employees understand the importance of rules adherence and that supervisors verify employees are following established safe work protocols.”