2014 Arkansas Train Crash Blamed On Speed, Slick Rails

A National Transportation Safety Board report on the probable cause of 2014 crash involving a sightseeing train and a locomotive south of Fayetteville was speed and slick rails.

On October 16, 2014, an Arkansas & Missouri Railroad train lost traction while en route from Springdale to Van Buren, causing it to come to a stop.

A locomotive sent to help that train, struck the excursion train's engine head-on at 24 mph.  The speed limit on that section of track was 20 mph.

10/23/2014 Related Story: Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Resumes Excursion Trips

Officials said 39 passengers and four members of the excursion train's crew were taken to nearby hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

The report says estimated damage was $178,500.

The NTSB says another contributing factor was informal communications between a train dispatcher and both train crews.