NTSB blames human error in Woburn train crash

(Globe file photo)

By David Abel, Globe Staff

The collision of a commuter train and a maintenance truck that left two track workers dead in Woburn last year probably was a result of human error and a failure to follow safety procedures, officials at the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released today.

The report highlighted the failure of a train dispatcher to provide proper signaling and found that a work crew did not use a device that would have provided additional signal protection on the tracks where they were working. Investigators also noted that the track engineer who died tested positive for marijuana.

"This tragic accident occurred because several employees of the railroad failed to do a very important part of their job," said Mark V. Rosenker, chairman of the safety board, in a statement. "Simply stated, following required safety procedures would have saved lives in this accident."

The crash occurred on Jan. 9, 2007, when the engineer of the southbound MBTA passenger train No. 322 received a clear signal as he passed a curve in the tracks at 62 miles per hour, officials said. When the engineer saw the track maintenance vehicle, officials said, he slammed on the breaks but hit the truck at 44 miles per hour, killing James Zipps, 54, the track engineer, and Christopher Macaulay, 30. John Hickey and Edwin Olson were seriously injured.

The workers were employed by Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, a private consortium that runs and maintains the commuter rail fleet for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Officials said investigators found that the train dispatcher “removed the block on the track segment” where the crew was working, clearing the signals for the train to enter the tracks. They also found that the track foreman failed to apply a shunting device to the tracks, which would have kept the signals red regardless of the dispatcher's actions.

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