There were many unfortunate events that lead to the tragic derailment of Sunset Limited locomotive on the bridge over the Big Bayou Canot. A result of this horrific accident was the death of 47 passengers on board. The stakeholders in this case are Amtrak and employees (conductor, assistant conductor, crewmembers, etc.), (WGN) Warrior Gulf Navigation, CSX Transportation Inc., National Transportation Safety Board, passengers, and the Alabama Emergency Response Network. Amtrak was the primary stakeholder in the case with the greatest interest because it was their train the Sunset Limited that derailed. Amtrak’s reputation was on the line as well as their future how they chose to proceed after the accident will ultimately affect the success …show more content…
CSX Transportation Inc. is also a primary stakeholder as it was their duty to ensure proper safety and maintenance protocols were followed. According to the case study the bridge was not equipped with the equipment that was recommended by the National Transportation Safety board sending no alerts of the bridge damage to the Sunset Limited crew. A main interest of the CSX Transportation Inc. in the future would be that all bridges are equipped with sensors. Warrior Gulf Navigation is also a stakeholder it was their tugboat that bumped into the bridge. The tugboat was supplied with a radar however the failure of proper training on radar usage in foggy weather may have been the root cause of the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is also a stakeholder it is their job to not only provide the rules and recommend them. Their interest is to determine the probable cause of transportation accidents and incidents and to formulate safety rules to improve transportation safety and decrease the chances of accidents like this happening in the future (NTSB, 2016). The Mobile Police and Rescue department is also a stakeholder they played a role in the …show more content…
as well as other railroad systems. This needs to be done to ensure National Transportation Safety Board recommendation are met and bridges and railways are equipped sensors possibly adding lights that can be seen even in foggy weather. It is important the railways their trains will be traveling on meet these standards to help prevent unfortunate accidents such as the Sunset Limited. The ethical theory I would provide to support my recommendation is John Stuart Mill theory of utilitarianism which has the best interest of the stakeholders. Utilitarianism asks us to compare the harms and benefits of an action not just for the decider, but for all who will be affected by the decision. (Halbert & Ingulli, 2014, p. 16). This requires Amtrak to take a look at everyone that was affected not only Amtrak’s investors, but the workers and passengers who lost their lives, and the railroad system. For decades, the National Transportation Safety Board has urged the nation’s railroads to implement a technology called positive train control systems (PTC)(Israel, Josh, 2015). This will equip trains with a positive train control system that will send an urgent signal to the locomotive conductor when it is reaching an excessive speed. Positive Train Control System is the most important railroad technology and Amtrak is one of the few locomotive companies who have not updated
...he information provided in this article can help reduce collisions on the road and help to save officers and emergency responders’ lives on the road.
Who is legally responsible for this incident? From the report, it was ruled as a normal accident. This may be the case since it was not due to negligence on the locomotive operator or the tugboat captain. It was an unfortunate event that resulted in the loss of several lives. As a nationally recognized company Amtrak, it is in their best interest to compensate the passengers and the loved one’s families to maintain a good public reputation. Even though legally they are not responsible for the loss, they have a social responsibility to react in this
Taylor, George Rogers, and Irene D. Neu. The American Railroad Network, 1861-1890. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1956. Print.
The Transcontinental Railroad was the largest project the United States had ever seen. Due to lack of technology, the enormous size of the project, and the environmental conditions, the railroad seemed to be an impossible task. This construction project posed a huge challenge to those working on it. The railroad’s route would span nearly seven hundred miles into desert and unexplored country. People had never traveled so far west before and there were no established cities there. Workers had to set up camps that were often disorganized and filled with crime. The railroad would pass through mountain ranges at extremely high elevations. Workers would blast through the granite of the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountain ranges, making only inches of progress everyday. Hunters used railroad lines to hunt buffalo, which was the main source of Native American food at the time. Between 1875 and 1885, northern and southern buffalo herds had been wiped out. Native Americans became upset when railroad companies seized their land. This resulted in many attacks on construction crews and the deaths of many engineers. When the workers weren't at work or asleep, they were at war with local tribes. Many workers kept loaded rifles at hand in the case of an Indian attack. The crews kept on working though, and by 1869 were laying track at an impressive rate How...
Night train packs a punch that will keep you on your toes all night long. Raunchy riffs, dual guitar harmonies and a performance that will never fail to amuse you to say the least. Providing a mixture of country/blues/classic rock and funk, no matter how old or young you are, night train give you a bang for your buck and the performance of lifetime. Night Train consists of two accomplished artists who have worked in bands and as solo artists; both multi-instrumentalists adding a whole new dynamic to their musical performances. Having travelled the country touring, recording and gigging, both members of the duo are seasoned professionals that are a guaranteed asset to any given venue.
The disaster that took place on the Ocean Ranger had a very large effect on the way Newfoundlander's feel about the gas and oil industry. The government examined the safety issues that led to this disaster and has implemented numerous changes to enhance the safety of the offshore workforce. The Newfoundland and Canadian government set up a combined royal commission to investigate the disaster of the Ocean Ranger and to provide recommendations to improve safety. Two years after the disaster, the royal commission on the Ocean Ranger disaster concluded that the deaths resulted not only from the storm and flaws in the rig's design, but also from a lack of human knowledge.
In 1900, 4000 miles of railroads crossed over North Carolina in many directions (Trelease 32). The expansion of the railroad system did so much for Nort...
The railroad industry is a mature market. The best option for growth is through mergers and acquisitions. By merging with Conrail, CSX would claim almost 70% of the Eastern market. By combining the rail networks CSX-Conrail would be able to offer long-haul routes between the Southern, Northeast, and Midwest ports. The combined entity would be able to consolidate overlapping operations which would reduce costs by an estimated $370 million by 2000. The cost savings would also be passed onto customers using the shorter routes between the Midwest and the South. By offering more competitive pricing an additional $180 million in operating income is expected through revenue increases. Part of this additional revenue is expected to be taken from Norfolk Southern.
“On March 23, 2005, at 1:20 pm, the BP Texas City Refinery suffered one of the worst industrial disasters in recent U.S. history. Explosions and fires killed 15 people and injured another 180, alarmed the community, and resulted in financial losses exceeding $1.5 billion.” (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2007) There are many small and big decisions and oversights that led to the incident. Underneath all the specific actions or inaction is a blatant disregard for addressing safety violations and procedures that had been pointed out to BP even years before this event. The use of outdated equipment and budget cuts also contributed to the circumstances that allowed this accident to happen.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is perhaps the most notorious failure in the world of engineering. It collapsed on November 7, 1940 just months after its opening on July 1, 1940. It was designed by Leon Moisseiff and at its time it was the third largest suspension bridge in the world with a center span of over half a mile long. The bridge was very narrow and sleek giving it a look of grace, but this design made it very flexible in the wind. Nicknamed the "Galloping Gertie," because of its undulating behavior, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge drew the attention of motorists seeking a cheap thrill. Drivers felt that they were driving on a roller coaster, as they would disappear from sight in the trough of the wave. On the last day of the bridge's existence it gave fair warning that its destruction was eminent. Not only did it oscillate up and down, but twisted side to side in a cork screw motion. After hours of this violent motion with wind speeds reaching forty and fifty miles per hour, the bridge collapsed. With such a catastrophic failure, many people ask why such an apparently well thought out plan could have failed so badly?(This rhetorical question clearly sets up a position of inquiry-which iniates all research.) The reason for the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is still controversial, but three theories reveal the basis of an engineering explanation. (Jason then directly asserts what he found to be a possible answer to his question.)
Question at Issue - How are the engineer and railroad negligent? What could have been done by the engineer and railroad company to prevent the accident? Would more training have invoked a different preventative response from the engineer? Are the current railroad safety regulations sufficient? Are there any warnings on the road before it curves towards the track? If you didn’t know the area would you clearly be able to spot a train? What if a car was stalled on the tracks? Would a train
One of America’s oldest railroads, known as the first common-carrier railroad, was chartered on February 28th 1827, by a group of Baltimore businessmen. The main objective of the railway was to ensure traffic would not be lost to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, which was proposed and ground broken the same time as the railroad. The new railroad was a big invention, which allowed people and freight to travel by train. This was a huge improvement for the United States, since everything was becoming more advanced in other countries. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company is the great railroad that owns up to the big title of “The First Common Carrier.” The B&O railroad has a rich history dealing with its background, building, competition, growth tactics, numerous raids, and involvement in the Civil War.
Chesley Sullenberger once said, “My message going forward is that I want to remind everyone in the aviation industry, especially those who manage aviation companies and those who regulate aviation, that we owe it to out passengers to keep learning how to do it better.” I, personally, couldn’t agree more. There’s always room for improvement, and there’s always things regulatory agencies could do to better promote safety. American Airlines Flight 191 is a perfect example of how regulatory agencies react to accidents to be more proactive in their duty to promote safety. On takeoff of American Airlines Flight 191, the left engine and pylon separated causing uncommanded retraction of the left wing slats.
In this case a large engineering consulting firm was contracted by the government to perform civil engineering work for the installation of equipment that would be later used to train firefighters. Prior to the actual work being commenced on site, Donald J. Giffels, president of the consulting firm soon realized through careful observation that there was a significant amount of ambiguity in how critical safety systems were to be designed. In this situation, what are the ethical issues that the consulting firm faces in accepting such a contract from the government. What is the optimal strategy in responding to what Donald J. .Giffels identified as an unacceptable lapse in safety. These two important questions are discussed in further detail with a conclusion of noteworthy facts surrounding this case following.
In the story the signalman is shown as being powerless to stop the horrible accidents involving the train just like humans are powerless to prevent train crashes from happening.