The engineeer at the controls of an Amtrak train that nearly collided head-on with a freight train admitted he fell asleep and missed several warning alarms, the railroad said Thursday.

The Amtrak train, carrying 128 people, came within 400 feet of a crash Feb. 20 with a 105-car CSX freight train on the same track about five miles east of Syracuse.

At least three signals two miles apart warned the Amtrak engineer that his train, traveling at 75 mph, was on the wrong track as it barreled toward the oncoming train carrying propane.

That's when the engineer finally woke up and slammed on the emergency brake, officials told WIXT-TV.

Amtrak said the engineer is no longer working for the railroad.

He told investigators he was able to silence the "alerter" signals that go off periodically while half-asleep, but did not awake fully until the two trains almost collided.

The engineer's name has not been released by Amtrak.