A welding failure likely led to the deadly train derailment near Pueblo in 2023. That’s according to the final report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The report outlines how a broken rail had been welded back together nearly five months before the October accident. That repair failed when the BNSF coal train crossed over it, causing six coal cars to derail. The derailment partially collapsed a railroad bridge over the northbound lanes of Interstate 25, killing the driver of a truck passing underneath.
The federal investigation determined that the welder had likely not used the correct materials to make the repair.
According to the report, “...the welder who made the weld did not recall performing this weld several months earlier. He was properly trained," and showed that he knew when to use a special type of repair kit. "…he reported that he had used them in the past.”
As a result of the investigation, BNSF said it is increasing oversight of its welding procedures and work.
The report further notes that “Railroads are required to regularly inspect sections of track likely to develop into broken rails, as well as individual rails for internal defects, such as a void/pocket inside the steel of the rail.”
The railroad had inspected the tracks and rails near the accident site but did not find defects.
Railroad inspectors often use ultrasonic testing to detect problems, but the report said the method may not pick up flaws at the base of the rail. Other test methods like track circuits, while not designed to indicate broken rails, also didn’t show a restriction in this spot.
The two crew members aboard the three locomotives and 124-car train were uninjured. The report estimated damages of around $15.6 million.
