News & Reviews News Wire NTSB releases preliminary report on UP fatality in Texas

NTSB releases preliminary report on UP fatality in Texas

By Trains Staff | July 8, 2025

Death at Nacogdoches yard on June 9 occurred during shoving move

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Diagram and aerial photo of fatal sideswipe accident at rail yard.
A diagram shows the scene of a fatal accident at Union Pacific’s yard in Nacogdoches, Texas, on June 9, 2025. An aerial view shows the cars involved in the sideswipe incident. UP via NTSB

WASHINGTON — A conductor who made an incorrect cut during switching, fouling a main track, was killed when a car he was riding on sideswiped the car fouling the main during a subsequent move, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report on a fatal accident that occurred June 9, 2025, at Union Pacific’s Nacogdoches, Texas, rail yard.

The incident occurred about 3:26 p.m. local time when a train of two locomotives and five cars was making a shoving move. According to the NTSB report, the accident came shortly after yard’s manager of train operations finished spending most of the day assessing the conductor’s proficiency; the supervisor had been with the conductor as he went about his job from 8:30 a.m. to about 3:10 p.m.

The NTSB’s on-scene investigation included inspecting the railcars and tracks; reviewing footage from surveillance and onboard video, as well as the locomotive event recorder; reviewing radio and phone communications; conducting interviews and a reenactment of the event; and reviewing UP’s training program documentation and company policies and procedures.

The ongoing investigation will focus on conductor training and certification; rules compliance; safety oversight; and operating procedures relating to shoving moves.

The preliminary report on this incident was released just seven days after the final report on another UP fatality during a shoving move. That incident occurred July 6, 2024, at Proviso Yard in suburban Chicago [see “NTSB releases report …,” News Wire, July 2, 2025].

2 thoughts on “NTSB releases preliminary report on UP fatality in Texas

  1. From the times listed above, it would appear it was the first move after being supervised all day. What a tragic set of circumstances for everyone involved.

  2. There seems to be an unfortunate trend of conductors being killed during shoving moves. I don’t quite understand it. Amtrak rules classes always emphasized clearance points and not leaving equipment in the foul. It would seem the freight railroads would do the same. I still work part time switching cars for a car repair facility and I always check my clearance points.

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