NTSB Corrects Report on Deadly Pecos Train Derailment

PECOS, TX – The National Transportation Safety Board issued corrections to its initial findings on the Dec. 18 train derailment in Pecos, Texas, which killed two Union Pacific workers.

Updated details reveal the incident involved a hydraulic platform trailer hauling heavy equipment, not a wind turbine base as first reported.

Surveillance footage showed the truck and trailer, operated by Boss Heavy Haul, LLC, were on the crossing for just over a minute before the collision. The Union Pacific freight train, traveling at 68 mph, struck the trailer, derailing all four locomotives and 25 intermodal cars. The impact also damaged the Pecos Chamber of Commerce building nearby.

The NTSB clarified the truck was stuck on the crossing as warning devices activated and the crossing gate lowered onto the trailer. Emergency braking was applied, but the collision could not be avoided.

Investigators have not determined why the truck was on the tracks for that duration or if attempts were made to notify Union Pacific using the emergency contact number posted at the crossing.

A preliminary investigation revealed the trailer was a hydraulic platform, correcting earlier statements that described it as a truck tractor-low boy trailer. The load was identified as “other heavy equipment” rather than a wind turbine base.

The derailment prompted the NTSB to send a six-member team to the scene for further investigation. Data from the train’s event recorder is under review in Washington, D.C., with a full preliminary report expected within 30 days.

The speed limit for the section of track was 70 mph. NTSB officials noted the train was traveling just below that limit before the crew’s emergency response.

Further analysis will focus on crashworthiness, emergency response, and contributing factors.