An initial investigation into the August 29, 2022 fatality was conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as well as representatives from Union Pacific, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Union, and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers. According to the preliminary report, 49-year-old conductor Mario Aurelio Navarro was killed during a reverse movement from Main Track 1 near UP’s Alfalfa Yard in El Paso, Texas. The train, which consisted of two locomotives and 61 rail cars, struck a derailment device that had been placed on the track earlier to protect Maintenance-of-Way employees installing a switch at the east end of Alfalfa Yard. The first two cars of the train derailed after striking the device, with the lead car landing on its side.
The investigation included an inspection of the track structure and equipment involved in the accident; event recorder data, image recordings, radio and telephone recordings, photographs, and drone image recordings; and witness interviews. The NTSB’s investigation is ongoing and a final report will be issued.
