DALLAS — A train failed to heed a stop signal before it barreled head-on into another freight train last month in the Texas panhandle, killing three, according to a preliminary federal report released Thursday.
An eastbound BNSF Railway train failed to slow at a yellow warning signal June 28 and then continued past a red stop signal before striking an oncoming BNSF train, inspectors for the National Transportation Safety Board said in the report.
The eastbound train, bound for Chicago, was supposed to stop and allow the Los Angeles-bound train to pass. It was traveling just over 60 mph when it passed the yellow signal, though trains are not supposed to travel any faster than 40 mph at a yellow signal so that they can stop in time at a red signal. The train was traveling about 65 mph when it passed the stop signal.
NTSB spokesman Terry Williams said it's not clear how far beyond the stop signal that the point of impact occurred.
"We're still in the gathering phase of this investigation," he said, adding that a final NTSB report will be released at some point next year. He declined to comment further.
A message left for BNSF spokesman Joe Faust was not immediately returned.
The collision occurred outside the town of Panhandle, about 25 miles northeast of Amarillo. Each train was carrying two crew members. One jumped to safety; the other three died.
The collision triggered a fireball and caused containers and cars to tumble onto one another in a pileup. Freight cars derailed and were strewn along with containers about 400 yards from the collision site. Authorities have previously said the eastbound train had stopped in Amarillo to refuel, and that diesel fuel contributed to a fire that burned for hours.