NTSB Releases First Report on Train Derailment

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the Paulsboro train derailment the the public on Monday.

The report's conclusions will be familiar to anyone who has heard about the derailment. The safety board typically releases a series of reports before the final conclusions are reached.

The report acknowledged the derailment of seven cars from a Conrail train that was traveling on the Paulsboro Movable Bridge over Mantua Creek. The derailment occurred just before 7 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 30. One of the leaking tanker cars released more 180,000 pounds of vinyl chloride, which sickened a total of 22 people and displaced others in the area.

The Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee which, governs and enforces the movement of trains along with Conrail, found that the train was going seven mph at the time of the derailment. The maximum permitted speed on the Paulsboro Bridge is 10 mph.

Conrail said in the report that their initial damage estimates, not including environmental remediation, total about $721,114.

Conrail, the Federal Railroad Administration and other governing entities were involved in helping to compile the NTSB's report. The full preliminary report can be found at the NTSC website.

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