[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41881-41882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17343]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Safety Advisory 2012-03; Buckling-Prone Conditions in Continuous 
Welded Rail Track

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Safety Advisory.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2012-03 to remind track owners, 
railroads, and their employees of the importance of complying with 
their continuous welded rail (CWR) plan procedures and reviewing their 
current internal engineering instructions that address inspecting CWR 
track to identify buckling-prone conditions. In an effort to heighten 
awareness of the potential consequences of an unexpected track buckle, 
particularly considering the unusually high, and prolonged, record-
breaking temperatures that have affected much of the United States in 
recent weeks, this notice highlights a series of recent train accidents 
involving derailments that were preliminarily determined by the 
respective railroads to be caused by the rail buckling under extreme 
heat conditions (commonly referred to as ``sun kinks'' in the rail). 
This notice contains recommendations to track owners and railroads to 
ensure their employees comply with the requirements of their CWR plan 
procedures that address inspecting track to identify buckling-prone 
conditions in CWR track, particularly if the track is located on or 
near railroad bridges. It also recommends that track owners and 
railroads review current internal engineering instructions to ensure 
that the instructions properly identify the necessary track maintenance 
instructions to prevent track buckling during extreme heat conditions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carlo M. Patrick, Staff Director, Rail 
and Infrastructure Integrity Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493-
6399; Kenneth Rusk, Staff Director, Track Division, Office of Railroad 
Safety, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, 
telephone (202) 493-6236; or Anna Nassif Winkle, Trial Attorney, Office 
of Chief Counsel, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 
20590, telephone (202) 493-6166.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The overall safety of railroad operations has improved in recent 
years. However, a series of recent accidents has highlighted the need 
for track owners, railroads, and their respective employees to review, 
reemphasize, and adhere to the requirements of a track owner's CWR plan 
procedures and current internal engineering instructions that address 
inspecting track to identify buckling-prone conditions in CWR track, 
particularly if the track is located on or near railroad bridges.
    FRA requires that a track owner comply with the contents of a CWR 
plan that is approved or conditionally approved under Title 49 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 213.118.\1\ See Sec.  213.119. The 
plan must include procedures that prescribe when physical track 
inspections are to be performed. See Sec.  213.119(g). At a minimum, 
these procedures are required to address inspecting track to identify 
buckling-prone conditions in CWR track, locations where tight or kinky 
rail conditions are likely to occur, locations where track work 
(disturbing the roadbed or ballast section and reducing the lateral or 
longitudinal resistance of the track) has recently been performed, and 
pull-apart prone conditions in CWR track, including locations where 
pull-apart or stripped-joint rail conditions are likely to occur. See 
Sec.  213.119(g)(1). In formulating such procedures, the track owner is 
required to specify when the inspections will be conducted, as well as 
the appropriate remedial actions to be taken when either buckling-prone 
or pull-apart prone conditions are found. See Sec.  213.119(g)(2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ All references in this notice to a section or other 
provision of a regulation are to a section, part, or other provision 
in 49 CFR, unless otherwise specified.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    CWR can produce peculiar maintenance issues for the railroad 
industry due to the constant temperature changes that rails experience 
because they are exposed to the open air and radiant heat from the sun. 
These temperature changes in CWR can create longitudinal stresses in 
the rail due to the constraints along the rail in conjunction with the 
thermal expansion or contraction of the rail steel. During long-term 
exposure to extremely high temperatures, the longitudinal stress in the 
rail can result in an unexpected track buckle (or kink). In addition, 
if the track buckle occurs on track that is located on or near a 
railroad bridge, the consequences of any subsequent derailment at that 
location can be compounded, often resulting in more severe damage and 
sometimes death.
    During the course of the last few weeks, the railroad industry has 
experienced four derailments that resulted in two fatalities and more 
than $5,000,000 in FRA-reportable railroad property damage. Based on 
preliminary investigations by the involved railroads, it appears that 
these four incidents may have occurred because of extremely high 
compressive forces that were present in the rail, which resulted from 
the record-setting excessive heat wave that has recently affected most 
of the United States.

Recent Incidents

    The following is a brief summary of the circumstances surrounding 
each of the recent train derailments that appear to have been heat-
related incidents. Information regarding these incidents is based on 
FRA's and the respective railroad's preliminary investigations and 
findings to date. The probable causes and contributing factors, if any, 
have not yet been established. Therefore, nothing in this safety 
advisory is intended to attribute a cause to these incidents, or place 
responsibility for these incidents on the acts or omissions of any 
person or entity.
    1. On July 4, 2012, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a BNSF Railway 
Company (BNSF) train crew noticed a sun kink (buckled track) in the 
rail ahead, and attempted to stop, but were unable to do so, which 
caused 43 loaded coal cars to derail in Pendleton, TX. BNSF 
preliminarily determined the cause of the derailment to be buckled 
track.
    2. On July 4, 2012, at approximately 1:30 p.m., a northbound Union 
Pacific Railroad Company (UP) coal train with 137 cars, traveling at 39 
mph, derailed 31 loaded coal cars in Northbrook, IL. The derailment 
occurred in a populated area on a steel trestle spanning a four-lane 
street. The bridge was destroyed, and the derailed cars fell on the 
roadway below, resulting in two fatalities. UP preliminarily determined 
the cause of the derailment to be buckled track adjacent to the bridge 
span.
    3. On July 2, 2012, at approximately 6:30 p.m., a westbound BNSF 
unit coal train derailed 31 loaded cars of coal next to a public grade 
crossing in Mesa, WA. The train crew had reported feeling rough track 
going through the grade crossing, and then placed the train into

[[Page 41882]]

emergency braking. BNSF preliminarily determined the cause of the 
derailment to be buckled track.
    4. On June 23, 2012, at approximately 6:40 p.m., an eastbound UP 
coal train derailed 22 cars in the Powder River coal fields in Bill, 
WY. UP preliminarily determined the cause of the derailment to be 
buckled track.
    Recommended Action: In light of the above discussion, FRA 
recommends that track owners and railroads:
    1. Review with their employees the circumstances of the four track-
buckling-related derailments identified above.
    2. Discuss the requirements of CWR plans with employees responsible 
for inspecting CWR, with a focus on inspecting CWR track to identify 
buckling-prone conditions, and conditions that can lead to buckled 
track, such as recently-disturbed track, locations where rail was 
repaired or replaced, and locations that experience excessive load 
dynamics.
    3. Evaluate and ensure that employees responsible for the 
inspection and repair of CWR track have been adequately trained and are 
capable of performing proper inspection and repair procedures.
    4. Reinforce with employees responsible for inspecting track the 
importance of maintaining sufficient anchoring and ballast to maintain 
track lateral resistance, especially around fixed track structures 
(such as grade crossings, turnouts, and bridges), where the rail 
conditions are considerably tighter and are therefore more susceptible 
to the development of track buckles.
    5. Review recent track maintenance records to identify previous 
buckling incidents, and their locations, for future inspection focus.
    6. Apply heat-restriction slow orders at necessary locations, with 
consideration of populated areas, in order to significantly decrease 
the likelihood of a derailment and reduce the severity and consequences 
of any derailments that may occur.
    7. Apply appropriate slow orders at speeds that will permit the 
passage of sufficient time and tonnage to restore track stabilization 
at disturbed track locations.
    8. Review current internal engineering instructions to ensure that 
the instructions properly identify the necessary track maintenance 
instructions to prevent track buckling during extreme heat conditions.
    FRA encourages railroad industry members to take actions that are 
consistent with the preceding recommendations and to take other actions 
to help ensure the safety of the Nation's railroad employees and the 
public. FRA may modify this Safety Advisory 2012-03, issue additional 
safety advisories, or take other appropriate actions it deems necessary 
to ensure the highest level of safety on the Nation's railroads, 
including pursuing other corrective measures under its rail safety 
authority.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on July 11, 2012.
Robert C. Lauby,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Regulatory and Legislative 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2012-17343 Filed 7-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P