GO train operator didn't follow signal in 2024 near-crash: TSB
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A near-collision involving two GO Transit trains carrying 400 passengers in Burlington two years ago could have been avoided had there been a physical fail-safe system in place to stop trains when “crews do not respond to signals,” the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said Wednesday.
TSB said the close call happened on March 14, 2024, when a GO train left Aldershot station, passing a signal telling it stop.
“The train then ran through a switch and entered a track that was occupied by another GO train travelling in the opposite direction,” the federal investigative agency said.
TSB investigators found that the crew departing Aldershot station expected the other train to have already passed and that they would get the green signal to proceed.
The TSB also noted that “the conductor was focused on his tablet during departure preparations, while the locomotive engineer was dealing with equipment issues in the cab, diverting attention from the signal.
“As a result, they did not observe the Stop indication.”
The TSB said crews on both trains were able to stop, avoiding a collision by about 549 feet.
No passengers or crew were injured in the incident.
TSB urges implementation of physical fail-safe systems
“In this occurrence, a catastrophic collision involving 400 passengers was narrowly averted, underscoring the need for physical fail-safe train controls that can intervene when signal indications are not followed,” TSB chair Yoan Marier said in a press release .
“For more than 25 years, we have been calling on industry and regulators to expedite the implementation of physical fail-safe train control systems and put strong interim measures in place while these systems are being developed and installed,” Marier said.
The TSB said that it has investigated eight separate collisions or near-collisions since 2023 in which signal indications were not followed.
“Physical fail-safe systems, such as positive train control (PTC), automatically slow or stop a train when crews do not respond to signals,” the TSB said.
It noted that PTC has been fully implemented in the United States since 2020 on high-hazard routes, including those operated by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
“Until additional backup safety defences are in place, the risk of accidents resulting from crews not following signal indications will continue,” the TSB warned.
Metrolinx responds to incident
GO Transit’s operator, Metrolinx, responded to the TSB findings, stating that “safety is central” to the provincial transportation agency.
“When an incident like this occurs, we work directly and immediately with Alstom (the company contracted to maintain and operate GO Transit trains) to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to hold employees responsible and to reinforce training and safety procedures with everyone,” Metrolinx said in a statement.
“Following the 2024 incident, Metrolinx and Alstom have advanced a broad set of long-term and interim actions designed to address human factors, procedural, and systemic contributors identified in the Transport Safety Board’s investigation report.
“Metrolinx and the Ministry of Transportation regularly review safety performance and incidents, while Metrolinx continues to meet all TSB reporting obligations and proactively share information with federal regulators,” it added.