Human Error and Lack-of-Human Error Caused Train Derailment


Last week’s Conrail derailment in Paulsboro, N.J., which sent a sickening gas cloud into the air that has kept more than 100 people from their homes, looks as though it was caused by two things: a dispatcher who allowed the train’s engineer to run a red signal and a failed automated bridge lock that used to be operated by hand until a few years ago. The savings from replacing the bridge attendant? $100K per year. Cost of this accident? More. A lot more. [Inquirer]