Montana Rail Conductor Killed After Being Struck by Train
COLUMBUS, Montana – A rail conductor was fatally struck by a train Sunday morning in Columbus, Montana, authorities confirmed. Teh incident, which occured around 9:40 a.m., is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Railroad Management (FRA).
the conductor was employed by BNSF Railway, one of the largest freight railway networks in the United States. Details surrounding the incident remain limited, but Columbus Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Nick Jacobs stated that the conductor was between two trains – one stationary, one moving – when struck. The death underscores ongoing scrutiny of railroad safety practices following recent high-profile incidents and concerns about reporting mechanisms for frontline workers.
According to Jacobs, emergency responders arrived to find an individual had been hit by a moving train. “One train was parked on one track and the other train was moving on another track,” he saeid. “And the moving one struck him somehow.”
BNSF Railway is deferring all inquiries to the NTSB. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released.
The incident comes after a 2023 FRA report highlighted BNSF’s efforts to improve safety, but also noted that these improvements weren’t consistently reaching workers, with some fearing retribution for reporting safety concerns. The FRA initiated a broader review of major railroads, including BNSF, in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last year, which raised significant national safety concerns.
