About 1:26 p.m. central daylight time on April 23, 1990, eastbound National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) train No. 6, the California Zephyr, derailed at Batavia, Iowa, while operating on the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). One passenger received serious injuries; 10 crewmembers and 75 passengers received minor injuries. The estimated damage was $1,835,000. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was improper rail installation during cold weather operations resulting from ineffective training programs, inadequate supervisory oversight and quality control measures, and an ineffective data collection system. Also causal to the accident was the failure of Burlington Northern procedures to require that crews readjust/destress continuous welded rail (CRW) after the track had been disturbed, which resulted in a track buckle under Amtrak train No. 6.
Railroad Accident Report - Derailment of Amtrak Train No. 6 on the Burlington Northern Railroad, Batavia, Iowa, April 23, 1990
1991
76 pages
Report
No indication
English