NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

RAIL SAFETY SECTION CASE #6062

INVESTIGATION OF A GRADE CROSSING ACCIDENT INVOLVING THE MTA - LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD

AT THE OLD NECK ROAD, CENTER MORICHES, NEW YORK ON AUGUST 15, 2000

Accident Scene :

SYNOPSIS

At approximately 5 :23 a.m . on Tuesday, August 15, 2000, the engineer of westbound train #2733 reported that the train struck a tractor trailer at the Old Neck Road grade crossing in Center Moriches, New York . The truck was transporting two cabin cruiser boats on a low boy trailer when it became stuck on the high vertical curve crossing while attempting to make a right turn from Wilcox Avenue onto Old Neck Road . Three of the thirteen passengers that were on the train reported minor injuries but refused medical attention at the scene. The passengers were removed from the train at the grade crossing and provided bus service to their final destinations .

INVESTIGATION

Old Neck Road grade crossing is located in the Town of Brookhaven . The single main line east and westbound track is non-electrified. Train movements are governed by manual block signal rules . The maximum authorized speed for a passenger train is 65 mph.

Old Neck Road is a two-lane road which runs north and south and intersects with east and westbound Wilcox Avenue to the south) of the grade crossing .

Old Neck Road', and Wilcox Avenue are utilized as a truck detour route for vehicles unable) to clear under the 11' - 6" railroad) bridge over Montauk Highway, the truck route road that provides direct) access to the Center Moriches business) district . The truck involved was traveling west on Wilcox Avenue (the designated truck detour route) and was attempting a right (northbound) turn onto Old Necl: Road when it became stranded on the high profile grade crossing . (See Figure #1) .

This grade crossing is equipped with warning devices which include warning gates, cross bucks, warning lights, advance warning signs, bells and pavement markings . The advance warning signs

include the New York State Department of Transportation's Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) "Vertical Curve Warning Sign" 95-9 which illustrates the possibility of stranding a low clearance vehicle on the profile deficient grade crossing surface ahead .

Accident Description :

At approximately 5 :23 a.m . on Tuesday, August 15, 2000, the engineer of westbound train #2733 reported that train #2733 struck a tractor trailer at the Old Neck Road grade crossing in Center Moriches, New York. The truck was transporting two cabin cruiser boats on a low boy trailer when the trailer became stuck on the high profile vertical curve crossing after attempting a right turn from Wilcox Avenue .

It was dark at the time of the accident and the weather conditions were clear with temperatures at approximately 80 degrees . The westbound train was led by cab car #5008, two passenger cars and engine 506 on the rear . The operator of the tractor trailer reported that approximately 30 seconds before impact, the grade crossing warning devices activated . The tractor operator remained in the cab of the tractor attempting to move the stranded vehicle as the train struck the rear wheels of the tractor and the front end of the trailer . The truck operator was shaken up but refused medical attention.

The engineer of the train was operating from the lead cab and reported that he observed the tractor trailer as the train came to the crest of a curve approximately 500 feet east of the grade crossing . He stated that he placed the train's brakes into emergency brake application and abandoned the cab prior to the train striking the truck . The brake application resulted in a reduction in speed, thus reducing the impact of the collision . The tractor trailer was shoved approximately forty feet as a result of the collision . The thirteen (13) passengers onboard the train at the time of this accident that were evacuated onto the grade crossing without incident and subsequently continued their journey on a bus provided by the Long Island Rail Road .

Injuries :

Three passengers reported minor injuries but refused medical attention at the scene . The tractor trailer operator was also shaken up but refused medical attention .

ADDITIONAL FACTS

The tractor trailer was moving west on Montauk Highway approaching the Long Island Rail Road's bridge which crosses over the Montauk Highway approximately 1,500 feet north of Wilcox Avenue (see Fig . #2) . The height of the bridge is posted at 11' - 6" . "Low Bridge" warning signs equipped with flashing yellow warning lights are posted on Montauk Highway approximately one-quarter mile east of the bridge .

This warning sign is followed by a posted sign requiring a "Truck Detour"

directing over height trucks westbound onto Wilcox Avenue. The operator of the truck detoured westbound onto Wilcox Avenue following the detour route west and turned north onto Old Neck Road. The truck driver ignored the "Vertical Curve Warning Sign" posted on the directional sign post near the Old Neck Road grade crossing (see Fig . #3) and became stranded on the crossing . Post accident inspection of the crossing revealed that the warning devices were functioning as designed and were in compliance with New York State Department of Transportation Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices . Long Island Rail Road Signal Department personnel conducted the mandated Federal Railroad

Administration tests and found that all of the grade crossing warning system components were operating as intended .

Grade Crossing Profile :

The American Railway Engineering Association (AREA) Manual for Railway Engineering, Section 7 entitled "High Profile Crossings" states that "the surface of the highway shall be in the same plane as the top of the rails for a distance 2 feet outside of rails . . ." and " . . .it is desirable that the surface of the highway be not more than 3 inches higher nor 6 inches lower than the top of the nearest rail at a point 30 feet from the rail, measured at right angle thereto, unless track super elevation dictates otherwise" . This construction standard is for new construction only on tangent track .

As a result of a similar high profile grade crossing accident which occurred in March of 1997, all railroads which come under purview of the Public Transportation Safety Board were requested to identify which crossings do not meet these profile standards and are therefore considered to be high profile crossings . The LIRR inspected 296 crossings and determined that 162 crossings exceeded the AREA criteria . Further analysis revealed that 72 of the 162 crossings that did not meet the criteria would be problematic for the operation of low profile vehicles . Old Neck Road is one of the crossings identified in their report as being problematic .

PTSB staff noted that the MUTCD "Vertical Curve Warning Sign" #95-9 was installed in advance of the crossing on Wilcox Avenue and Old Neck Road in compliance with previous PTSB Recommendation #3870. It should be noted that Suffolk County has installed the subject warning signs at all identified high profile crossings crossing Suffolk County roads . In this accident, the operator of the tractor trailer clearly disregarded the high profile warning sign at the grade crossing . However, PTSB staff did note that the tractor trailer operator did not have any advance indication of the high profile crossing before entering the truck detour route and believes that this accident demonstrated an immediate need for additional "Vertical Curve Warning Sign" to be installed at the truck detour direction route signs on Montauk Highway .

PTSB staff addressed installation of additional warning signs with the Suffolk County Department of Public Works . Subsequently, on August 23rd , staff submitted an interim recommendation that the

subject signs be installed on Montauk Highway in advance of the Truck Detour access road signs . A follow up inspection by PTSB staff on Oct . 16th revealed that the advance vertical curve warning signs were installed in both directions approximately one-quarter mile in advance of the crossing as promised by Suffolk County .

Other Incidents :

PTSB's investigation determined that in addition to this accident on August 15, there have been three other incidents reported to the Rail Road since June, 2000, that have involved tractor trailer trucks, this grade crossing and the low clearance railroad bridge over Montauk Highway . On June 6th, police notified the Rail Road that a low boy tractor trailer was stuck on the grade crossing and service was suspended until the low boy was removed . The remaining two incidents occurred since the additional warning signs were installed : on Octoberl 8th at 6 :45 p.m., a low-boy trailer became stuck on the high vertical curve Old Neck Road grade crossing and on October 25th at approximately 7:17 a.m., a high clearance truck struck the railroad bridge . In these two incidents emergency notification to the Rail Road was timely and a block was placed on the track so that trains were stopped . These incidents demonstrate the need for the Rail Road and Suffolk County to take additional corrective actions to engineer a solution to eliminate the profile problem at this grade crossing .

CONCLUSION

The Public Transportation Safety Board finds that the probable cause of the August 15, 2000, accident was the failure of the tractor trailer operator to comply with the highway warning sign posted in advance of the crossing identifying the possibility of stranding a low clearance vehicle on the profile deficient grade crossing surface ahead .

DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS

The Public Transportation Safety Board staff recommends that :

6062- 1

Suffolk County conduct an immediate review of the existing designated truck detour route and modify the route to detour trucks and low boy tractor trailers away from the clearance deficient bridge and high profile grade crossing until such time that safe passage over or under them can be achieved .

6062-2

MTA - Long Island Rail Road and the Town of Brookhaven collaborate to eliminate the highway and railroad track profile at Old Neck Road so that the vertical grade at the grade crossing conforms with the construction standard for new grade crossings as described in the American Railway Engineering Association (AREA) Manual for Railway Engineering, Section 7 entitled "High Profile Crossings" or to another applicable standard that will eliminate the high profile grade crossing condition at this crossing .

DATED:

September 11, 2002

PROPERTY/Rail Road RESPONSE

Suffolk County has reviewed the present detour route and is confident that the route posted to direct low profile vehicles away from the Old Neck Road crossing is adequately and appropriately marked. Once the crossing profile is corrected, the detour route will be adjusted accordingly .

The Long Island Rail Road prepared an engineering solution which will eliminate the profile deficiency at Old Neck Road. The plans were sent to the Town of Brookhaven for review . The Town eventually responded to the Rail Road's plan .

In early 2002, a similar engineering solution was prepared by Suffolk County to eliminate the profile deficiency .

The County's proposal was forwarded to the Long Island Rail Road for review and approval . The Rail Road has reviewed the plans and anticipates working with Suffolk County to correct the problems at Old Neck Road . The Rail Road has agreed to make the necessary signal and grade crossing warning device modifications once the profile deficiencies are eliminated .

Based on Suffolk County's plans to eliminate the profile deficiencies and, the Rail Road's agreement to make the required signal modifications at Old Neck Road, the PTSB staff finds that the proposed actions should prevent similar accidents from occurring and therefore makes no further recommendations regarding this case .

SUBMITTAL

Prepared by:

Michael A. Kelly Updated by:

Jerry Shook

This report is hereby submitted by Jerry Shook, Director, Rail Safety Bureau, to the Public Transportation Safety Board for further action .

Jerry Shook, Director Rail Safety Bureau