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Jun 24, 2025

FRA urges railroads to step up conductor training and testing - Trains

A new safety bulletin was issued in response to a fatal switching accident on Union Pacific earlier this month Get the newest photos, videos, stories, and more from Trains.com brands. Sign-up for

A new safety bulletin was issued in response to a fatal switching accident on Union Pacific earlier this month

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WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has released a safety bulletin related to a June 9 close-clearance switching accident that killed a Union Pacific conductor in Nacogdoches, Texas.

“Based on FRA’s preliminary investigation, the locomotive engineer was shoving two locomotives and five covered hopper cars into a siding. The conductor was riding the consist and collided with cars that had been left fouling the siding after being set out on the main track. The employee had approximately two years of railroad experience, and qualified as a conductor in August 2023. While FRA’s investigation into this accident is ongoing, the circumstances raise concerns about whether the conductor was properly trained and qualified to perform switching duties,” the FRA said in its safety bulletin that was issued on Monday.

The FRA urged railroads to identify location-specific safety issues to cover during safety briefings and employee training. The bulletin makes three recommendations:

Union Pacific, in a statement emailed to Trains News Wire, said that all of its conductors “are trained and certified in compliance with Federal Railroad Administration’s regulations. We are cooperating with the FRA as it investigates this tragic incident.”

SOFA today issued an alert regarding the UP accident.

“The working group would like to encourage stakeholders to ensure that equipment is standing clear of adjacent tracks before beginning a shove movement, especially during continuous switching operations. Last, but not least, stop the movement in instances of uncertainty and remember to always hold a job briefing whenever the job or situation changes,” the alert says.

The SOFA Working Group is a voluntary, non-regulatory, workplace-safety partnership that includes the FRA, labor unions, the Association of American Railroads, and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.

Robert Gardner, 43, of Lufkin, Texas, was killed in the June 9 accident. The SMART-TD union has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses. More information is available online.