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The conductor worked for BNSF Railway, the agency said in a post
on the social media site X. BNSF Railway operates one of the
largest freight railway networks in the U.S.
The incident occurred at about 9:40 a.m. in Columbus, a town of
about 2,000 people 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of
Billings.
Emergency response officials weren't sure what happened other
than that an individual was between two trains, said Nick
Jacobs, Columbus Fire Rescue’s assistant chief. One train was
parked on one track and the other train was moving on another
track, he said.
“And the moving one struck him somehow,” Jacobs said.
The NTSB and Federal Railroad Administration officials were at
the scene, Jacobs said.
A spokesperson for BNSF said the company was referring all
questions to the NTSB.
The identity of the deceased was not immediately released.
A report by the Federal Railroad Administration last year found
BNSF was generally striving to improve safety on a consistent
basis, but that message didn't always reach front-line workers
who often didn't feel comfortable reporting safety concerns for
fear of being disciplined.
The agency prepared the report as part of an effort to review
all major railroads to address safety concerns after a 2023
Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.
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