The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad was scheduled to resume passenger service today, one week after a locomotive going 25 mph crashed head-on into the engine of a passenger train that was stalled near Brentwood, injuring some passengers and crew members.
About 110 passengers are expected to ride today and 300 are expected Saturday, said Ron Sparks, the railroad's police chief. It's the height of the railroad's "fall foliage" tours between Springdale and Van Buren. More than 1,000 people had to cancel or re-book their trips because of the accident.
"The folks need to understand this is a safe train," Sparks said at a news conference Wednesday outside Arkansas & Missouri's headquarters in Springdale. "We run a safe operation. This is a very unfortunate incident that happened once in 28 years. We're going to be taking all kinds of different measures to make sure it doesn't happen again."
There were 39 passengers and four crew members on the southbound train that stalled, Sparks said. Two other crew members were on the northbound locomotive that was on its way to assist, but instead collided with, the passenger train.
"All went to the hospital per our request to be checked out," said Sparks. Most had only bumps and bruises, he said.
Five people were kept in area hospitals overnight. By the third day after the accident, two remained hospitalized -- the conductor of the support locomotive and a Missouri woman who was a passenger.
The conductor jumped from the support engine before the collision, breaking his ankle and fracturing bones in his back, Sparks said. The fractures will heal without surgery, but the man will be off work for two to three months, Sparks said. The conductor was released Tuesday night from Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville.
Sparks said the injured woman was transferred from Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville on Wednesday to a hospital nearer her home in Missouri. She suffered broken bones in the accident.
Investigations are being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Railroad Administration. The investigations should be completed in 12 to 14 months, but a preliminary report is expected in six weeks, Sparks said. The safety board investigation is informational, but the Federal Railroad Administration has the power to sanction the railroad.
The assisting locomotive was traveling about 25 mph at the time of the collision, Sparks said. It should have been going no more than 20 mph on the basis of the "out-of-service track warrant" under which it was authorized to travel. Under that warrant, the engineer should be going slow enough to stop if he sees anything on the track ahead of the locomotive, Sparks said.
The stalled train wasn't equipped with a geographic positioning system, Sparks said. The railroad keeps track of train location through dispatchers and "readers" along the track that report when a train passes that point.
Leaves on the tracks had slowed the passenger train to a stop, Sparks said. Arkansas & Missouri Railroad trains have "lost momentum" before because of fallen leaves, but this is the first time he knows of a train that completely stopped and couldn't get going again without help.
The train's engine was pulling four cars, including two empty ones, so it could pick up additional passengers in Van Buren. Sparks said the plan was for the assisting engine to hook onto the stalled locomotive, then shift into reverse and pull the passenger train to Van Buren.
A 39-foot section of track had to be replaced because the locomotives derailed after the collision, Sparks said. It was replaced by Friday night and freight trains resumed using the track, he said.
The track will be checked again this morning before the first passenger train travels south from Springdale to Van Buren, Sparks said.
The two locomotives are being repaired along with one passenger car, which dates from about 1917, Sparks said.
Sparks said the accident caused no explosion, as initially reported by some passengers who apparently mistook the crash for an explosion. About 20 to 30 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from a "pinhole"-size puncture in a hose underneath the train, he said.
Sparks said the accident had nothing to do with an Oct. 10 derailment about 13 miles south along the same line, which is owned by the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad.
Springdale-based Arkansas & Missouri operates a 150-mile route from Monett, Mo., to Fort Smith, according to its website, amrailroad.com. The company provides freight service and excursion passenger service between Springdale and Van Buren.
NW News on 10/23/2014