Jacksonville, FL — Following a collision between a JTA bus and Amtrak train in Murray Hill, JTA is doing a complete review of crossings on their routes, and whether those routes should change.
WOKV first reported Monday morning about the crash, which happened around Post Street and McDuff Avenue South before 7AM. JTA says their internal security footage has determined the bus operator crossed McDuff, while heading east on Post, and after that operator approached the tracks, the crossing arm started to come down and signal lights started to flash. The Amtrak train then "clipped" the front of the bus, according to JTA.
Photos from the scene show the bus under the railroad arm. The roadway design positions that crossing arm right at the eastern edge of the intersection. The tracks and crossing are CSX’s, and that company says it appears all of their active warning devices were functioning properly.
JTA’s Bus Operator’s Rule Book says when an operator comes to a railroad crossing, he or she is required to come to a full stop between five and 25 feet of the nearest rail and only proceed if those tracks are observed to be clear in both directions. Further, operators cannot pass flashers or lowered railroad gates and must not start crossing the tracks unless they will fully be able to clear them safely.
GALLERY: JTA bus and Amtrak train collide in Murray Hill
This intersection poses a “unique set of circumstances”, according to JTA. Because of the proximity of the crossing arm to the intersection, WOKV asked whether the operator would have been expected to stop in the middle of the intersection to assess the clearance of the tracks, if that assessment should be made before proceeding in to the intersection, or if there is another option. JTA tells us that is something they are trying to get a better understanding of.
In fact, JTA is now undertaking a complete review of how JTA buses approach and cross these intersections, and whether there need to be changes to any of the 15 routes that encounter railroad tracks. JTA tells WOKV that, while they don’t typically have problems at this specific roadway intersection, because of how tight it is they may change the route to avoid it altogether.
In the interim, they have stationed supervisors at this crossing and at the intersection of Hendricks and Nira in San Marco, where we’re told there was a situation Friday where it appeared that a bus was too close to the tracks, although JTA determined the driver was actually a safe distance away. The supervisors will be at those two locations until further notice in order to ensure the intersections are operating safely and report any issues JTA may not be aware of. CSX has also deployed signal maintainers to inspect the signal system at the collision intersection to ensure nothing was damaged and everything is operating as designed, which they say is protocol following a collision at a grade-level crossing.
In this specific case, there were no major injuries to the nine bus passengers, although the operator was taken to the hospital as a precaution and was later released. That operator has also now undergone drug and alcohol screening, according to JTA. The operator is not behind the wheel at this time, as JTA has put that person on “hold off” status without pay, pending their investigation of whether any protocols were violated.
Amtrak says 466 customers were on the train, which was traveling from Lorton, Virginia, to Sanford, Florida. Nobody on the train was hurt, and it was ultimately able to continue to that final destination.
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