Recently, we had an event in an Amtrak yard that could have resulted in serious personal injury, equipment damage or a derailment. This occurred when an individual was attempting to work on a private car in the yard and he set up a derail without permission to protect this car. Listed below is a brief description of what transpired without using names or locations:

“At about 4:00 pm the conductor called to inform me that the owner of private car wanted to do some work on his car and wanted protection. I told him to tell him no, since I had the drill crew working in the area. The crew made their cut on the cars and came off the track for the wheel track. They made their drops on the wheel track and were on their way back when the conductor realized that the derail was up and brought the equipment to a stop and called me to report that someone had put up a derail on the east end of the track. Then, the conductor said to me that the owner had just run to the east end of the track and taken the derail down. This is a serious problem since he is not an authorized mechanical employee.”

This incident very easily could have resulted in injury, derailment or something else very severe. We were all very lucky that day that nothing terrible happened and as you are all well aware, we do not rely upon luck to remain safe. Private Car owners and operators are responsible for their guests, employees and contractors. In this instance, ignorance of the laws or a “misunderstanding” is not an acceptable excuse for the actions taken. If you need protection, please be sure and work through the facility manager’s office or the appropriate person-in-charge.

We are very concerned about this incident and we want to keep a perfect safety record for every single move. This is critical to both Amtrak and to you, as private car owners and operators. I do not believe that we had a single injury during the past fiscal year (Oct – Sep) which is very commendable and we want to continue that streak. Please discuss safety issues with your guests, especially those that may not be familiar with normal railroad operations and speak with all contractors and members of your staff to insure that they are fully aware of Amtrak’s and the FRA’s safety rules and regulations.

Let’s keep this an injury and incident free year!