Passenger Trains > MARC train hits MARC truck, Brunswick Line shut down

MTA Service Alert
Maryland MTA Logo
7/20/2015 5:11 PM

> All Brunswick Line service is suspended at this time. There is no
> estimate of the length of this delay. Further information will be
> provided as information becomes available.

Update:

> Brunswick Line Update: All service remains suspended due to police
> activity between Silver Spring and Kensington. Train 875 is currently
> stopped between Silver Spring and Kenington and Train 877 is holding
> at Silver Spring. All other Brunswick Line trains will hold at Union
> Station until further notice. There is no estimate of restoration at
> this time. Washington Metro is honoring MARC tickets and
> Frederick/Monocacy passengers are reminded that your tickets are
> honored on MTA Commuter Bus 505 and 515.

Update 2:

> Brunswick Line Update #2: All service is still suspended due to
> police activity between Silver Spring and Kensington. There is no
> estimate of restoration at this time. The Washington Metro is
> honoring MARC tickets at this time and MTA COmmuter Bus has added
> aditional service to Routes 505 and 515 and buses will accept
> standees.

Update 3:

> Brunswick Line Update #3: Service remains suspended due to police
> activity between Silver Spring and Kensington. CSX and police are
> working to clear the tracks at this time. Until the tracks are clear,
> all service remains suspended.
>
> We have attemped to secure buses to establish a bus bridge, however,
> since it is in the middle of rush hour, no extra buses are available.
> The only exception is the previously-mentioned MTA Commuter Bus 505
> and 515 service from Shady Grove.
>
> Passengers are also reminded that the Washington Metro options is
> open and that Washington Grove, Gaithersburg, Metropolitan Grove, and
> Germantown stations can be reached from Shady Grove Metro by Ride-On
> buses. Refer to the route numbers that are located in the Brunswick
> Line timetable.
>
> Updates will follow as information is made available.


MARC won't say what really happened, so here is a media report:

MARC train crash with truck snarls commutes
WTOP
July 20, 2015

> WASHINGTON — A MARC passenger train struck one of its own maintenance
> vehicles in Montgomery County Monday afternoon causing the Brunswick
> Line to be suspended for the evening commute.
>
> A MARC train struck a train maintenance vehicle around 4:45 p.m. near
> the intersection of Seminary Road and Forest Glen Road in Silver
> Spring, according to Montgomery County police. The train maintenance
> truck driver was moving the vehicle on to the tracks when the train
> collided into it.
>
> Police say were 600 people on board when the crash occurred. One
> person of the train sustained a minor injury. The truck driver
> refused treatment at the scene. No other injuries have been
> reported.
>
> Hazmat crews are working to clean up diesel fuel spilled at the
> scene. The cleanup is causing extended road closures on Seminary
> Road, police say.

Article with photos:

MARC train crash with truck snarls commutes

 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/15 15:46 by GenePoon.

Someone made a mistake there, but more importantly the truck drives sounds like one very lucky dude.

Gary

UPDATE, 1847 hrs Eastern:

> Brunswick Line Update #4: MARC has been informed that the Brunswick
> Line should reopen within 15-20 minutes. Train 877 will depart Silver
> Spring and stop at Train 875 to transfer passengers. Brunswick Line
> trains will depart Union Station in the order that they are reguarly
> scheduled (Train 893, 879, 881, 895, 883). All trains will make all
> stops this evening.

UPDATE: 1907 hrs Eastern:

> Brunswick Line Update #5: The Brunswick Line has been reopened and
> train service is resuming. Train 877 is transfering passengers from
> Train 875 at this time. Once this is complete, it will proceed west.
> All remaining Brunswick Line trains will follow Train 877 in the
> order that they were scheduled to depart Washington.
>
> Although service has resumed, trains will still operate with
> significant delays.
>
> Due to this service disruption tonight, there are likely to be
> service delays and cancellations Tuesday morning. Updates will be
> posted on the MTA website and E-mailed to customers by 10:30pm. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/15 16:24 by GenePoon.

Well lets see...clearly NOT a MARC dump truck as there are NO such things; is was obviously a CSX truck.

Someone screwed up big time; possible scenarios include the truck operator fouling the track without the proper authority & protection or the train's engineer (in this case a Bombardier employee) may not have been informed of or did not comply with a properly issued bulletin order. There will be lots of explaining to do in any case.

Fortunate that this was not more severe. This crossing has very poor visability for both trains and vehicles.

GenePoon Wrote:

> MARC won't say what really happened, so here is a
> media report:
>
> MARC train crash with truck snarls commutes
> WTOP
> July 20, 2015
>
> > WASHINGTON — A MARC passenger train struck one
> of its own maintenance
> > vehicles in Montgomery County Monday afternoon
> causing the Brunswick
> > Line to be suspended for the evening commute.

MARC does not do maintenance on CSXT tracks. 


> >
> > A MARC train struck a train maintenance vehicle
> around 4:45 p.m. near
> > the intersection of Seminary Road and Forest
> Glen Road in Silver
> > Spring, according to Montgomery County police.
> The train maintenance
> > truck driver was moving the vehicle on to the
> tracks when the train
> > collided into it.


Pictures show a dump truck with "high rail" wheels on it. Something was seriously wrong here. Either the "high rail" operator didn't have authority to be on the track or the dispatcher failed to apply proper blocking as this type of equipemnt generally doesn't shunt the track circuits.

My guess is the high rail driver was in the process of getting off of the track at Linden Lane (not Seminary road as reported by the artice) when the train struck it. Assuming MARC has cameras on it locomotives this should make for an interesting video.


> >
> > Police say were 600 people on board when the
> crash occurred. One
> > person of the train sustained a minor injury.
> The truck driver
> > refused treatment at the scene. No other
> injuries have been
> > reported.
> >
> > Hazmat crews are working to clean up diesel fuel
> spilled at the
> > scene. The cleanup is causing extended road
> closures on Seminary
> > Road, police say.
>
> Article with photos:
>
> MARC train crash with truck snarls commutes

Linden Lane

Link above is to Google street view of Linden Lane crossing.

Isn't that location near the collision between a MARC Train and Amtrak 29 back in 95?

Was that just rail west of Silver Spring?

Posted from Android

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Isn't that location near the collision between a
> MARC Train and Amtrak 29 back in 95?

No, that was Georgetown Jct, located just west of Silver Spring.

Georgetown Jct looking east.

The MARC train ran into the side of the Capital Limited as it was crossing over at Georgetown Jct.

The "Delayed in Block" rule came about due to this incident.

Grade crossings are sometimes a trap.
First, if the employee is not familiar with the track designations he/she could set on the wrong track.
Second, when setting on or getting off the track, there is a moment when the Hy-Rail may foul the other track, if this is likely to occur the Mof W employee must get authority for that second track.
You now see "MT No 1" or "North Main" or similar designations painted on the rail at crossings, a good idea methinks.

Seminary Road grade crossing, where the incidident occurred, is the last grade crossing on CSX's Metropolitan Sub, before entering the Washington D.C. area, where the Metro parallels its right-of-way.

Several years ago, the crossing, located in a very residential area, CSX designated it as a "whistle-free" crossing, due to either the surrounding residents' or/and??? an office building's, next to the tracks, complaints about the loud sound.

Matthew

The truck belongs to "Amtrac Railroad Contractors of Maryland"

Here are a few photos.
https://mobile.twitter.com/MCFRSNews/status/623267088489152512

Posted from Android