The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) earlier this week issued a preliminary report on its ongoing investigation into a Feb. 23 accident in which an Amtrak roadway worker was struck and killed by an Amtrak snow-patrol train in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The accident occurred in the vicinity of the High Steel Industries facility, where a three-person Amtrak roadway maintenance work group was assigned to remove snow and ice from a switch following a winter storm, according to NTSB’s report.
The snow-patrol train originated in Philadelphia and was serving to clear ice from the catenary wires between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in preparation for the restoration of regular passenger service following a snowstorm. The train crew consisted of an engineer positioned in the lead locomotive and a conductor positioned in the passenger car. The three-person roadway maintenance work group included a designated watchman, the foreman who was clearing snow from a switch, and a third employee who was in a truck positioned about 700 feet from the site…