NTSB: Human errors caused BNSF railway worker deaths
Human errors lead to a fatal 2017 train accident in South Dakota that killed two BNSF roadway workers, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), but the agency ultimately lays the blame on the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), for its inconsistent enforcement of federal regulations.
The Jan. 17, 2017, accident near Edgemont, South Dakota, occurred when a train traveling at 35 mph struck and killed two of three workers, who had been clearing snow and ice from a track switch. One of the fatalities was the designated “watchman/lookout.”