EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At 8:23 am. on December 12, 1990, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) passenger train 66, consisting of a two-unit locomotive. two material handling cars, five passenger cars, one dining car. and two baggage cars, derailed and struck Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) commuter train 906, consisting of one locomotive, six passenger cars, and one control car, as both trains entered Back Bay station in Boston, Massachusetts
Operated by an apprentice engineer, Amtrak train 66 was traveling 76 mph, within a 30-mph speed restriction, on a 9" 30' curve when it derailed and struck META train 906 on the adjacent track. A fire ignited after the collision. On Amtrak train 66, 7 crewmembers and 43 passengers sustained injuries, on MBTA train 906, Screwmembers and 391 passengers were injured, and 7 firefighters sustained injuries Estimated damage exceeded $12.5 million
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the apprentice locomotive engineer to reduce speed in sufficient time to negotiate the curve into Back Bay station as a result of inadequate supervision provided by the locomotive engineer. Contributing to the accident was Amtrak‘s failure to provide adequate quality control oversight for its locomotive engineer training program, including the adequacy of selection and training for apprentices an selection and training of engineers who serve as supervisors to apprentices during on—the-job training Also contributing to the accident was Amtrak's failure to have advance warning devices for a speed reduction for the curve entering Back Bay station
The safety issues discussed in this report are:
- train operations and speed limits,and
- locomotive engineer training and Federal Railroad Administration certification, and
- locomotive event recorder data
As a result of its investigation, the Safety Board made recommendations addressing these issues to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and the United Transportation Union.
v
