NTSB Report Jan 13, 2014

Accident No.: DCA14MR004

Accident Type: Railroad Train Collision

Location: Casselton, North Dakota

Date: December 30, 2013

Preliminary Report

The information in this report is preliminary and will be supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation.

On Monday, December 30, 2013, about 2:11 p.m. central standard time, a westbound BNSF Railway (BNSF) grain train, G-RYLRGT9-26A, derailed 13 cars at milepost 28.5 near Casselton, North Dakota. The grain train consisted of two head end locomotives, one rear DPU[1] locomotive and 112 cars, and was operating on main track 1. One of the derailed cars, the 45th car from the head end, fouled main track 2. Oncoming eastbound BNSF petroleum crude oil unit train, U-FYNHAY4-05, on main track 2 collided with the derailed car fouling main track 2, resulting in the derailment of the head end locomotives and the first 21 cars of the petroleum crude oil train. The petroleum crude oil train consisted of two head end locomotives, one rear DPU locomotive and 106 cars.

After the collision, both crewmembers of the petroleum train exited the lead locomotive uninjured prior to initial ignition of ruptured tank cars and sequential explosions of other loaded tank cars. The crew from the grain train was not injured.

A voluntary evacuation of approximately 1.400[2] civilians from the town of Casselton was ordered by local emergency officials. No injuries to the public were reported.

The accident occurred on the BNSF KO Subdivision where train movements are governed by signal indications of a traffic control system. The maximum authorized speed for freight trains in the area of the accident is 60 mph. Event recorder data from the rear locomotives of both trains, as well as recorded data from the signal system, was examined to determine train speeds and signal aspects prior to the collision. The grain train was traveling about 28 mph when it went into an emergency brake application. The petroleum crude oil train was traveling about 43 mph when the train crew initiated an emergency brake application. The estimated speed at the time of the collision was 42 mph.

[1] DPU refers to a distributive locomotive power unit.

[2] Emergency responders and incident command estimates at the time of this