Investigators look at role Positive Train Control played in Carey derailment

CAREY, Ohio — It was the sort of railroad collision that Positive Train Control was intended to prevent.

At a switch where two tracks on CSX Transportation’s line between Toledo, Fostoria, and Columbus converge into one, a train hauling demolition debris and other waste north toward a Fostoria-area landfill ran into the cars of a southbound train laden with sand for use in oil or gas drilling.

The Aug. 12 crash in a field north of Carey caused no serious injuries, and no hazardous materials were involved other than diesel fuel in a wrecked locomotive.

But it’s getting extra scrutiny from investigators because of how it appears to have happened: the debris train ran past a signal where it was supposed to have stopped and waited for the sand train to pass. And that despite the presence of Positive Train Control, which is supposed to prevent just that sort of crash, along with others involving excessive train speed, trains accidentally entering work zones, and misaligned track switches.

Read more: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/transportation/2019/08/28/Investigators-look-at-role-Positive-Train-Control-played-in-Carey-de/stories/20190828161