A PATH conductor attempting to drive a crowded train, unaware that it had derailed. Crewmen not watching as the trains they're supposed to be operating roll over improperly aligned switches. A Conrail train passing through a red signal in 2012, leading to several cars toppling into a creek and the release of toxic gas that sent scores to the hospital.

Investigators are continuing to pick through the wreckage of Amtrak Train 188, which derailed last week in Philadelphia, killing at least eight and injuring scores of others. But across the Delaware River, derailments caused by human error are commonplace, occurring an average of more than once a month.

An analysis of federal rail data by NJ Advance Media shows that 58 percent of the 611 train derailments that have occurred in New Jersey over the past 20 years have been caused by human error -- twice the national rate and far higher than any other state in the country.

While most derailments have not caused mass injury to the general public, rail experts were alarmed by the statistics and say it underscores the need for broader safety regulation before something far more serious occurs.

"We need a top-down overhaul of how railroads look at public safety, period," said Bob Pottroff, an attorney who specializes in railroad safety. "They look at it as an expense item, as a nuisance and that's got to change. It's that fundamental."

In terms of overall accidents, New Jersey falls somewhere in the middle when compared to other states with far more miles of rail, like Illinois, California and even neighboring New York.

But while statistics fluctuate slightly from year-to-year, human-error has consistently been the central factor in the majority of train derailments in the state since 2002, and overall since 1995, accident data from the Federal Railroad Administration show.

Accident report narratives show that worker inattentiveness is the most frequently cited reason for the derailments. All told, human-caused derailments have cost state railroad companies about $10 million in track and equipment damage.

"Twice the national rate. Those are an alarming numbers," said Assemblyman John Wisniewski, chair of the Assembly's Transportation Committee, when presented with the findings. "It's something I think we should have been presented with. ... We should be looking at what we can do to shut down what's happening or at the very least minimize the impacts so we don't reach these types of numbers again."

He said he plans to review the data and potentially bring it to the attention of the committee.

Human error is also the leading cause of all railway accidents in New Jersey since 1995, though not by as wide a margin as derailments. Federal Railroad Administration data show that about 48 percent of the more than 1,400 accidents in the state since 1995 have been caused by human error, a rate that ranks New Jersey third in the country, and still well ahead of the 39 percent national average.

Human-caused accidents have caused three deaths, 146 injuries and more than $35 million in damages, the data show.

"I think worker inattentiveness is something the entire transportation industry is becoming more attuned to," said Martin Robins, founding director of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center and who for years worked for NJ Transit. "It's like driving on an open road, on a major highway. You could fall asleep for a second and change lanes and suddenly get yourself into trouble. We've all had these moments."

Robles said he views the Metro-North derailment in December 2013 as a flashpoint moment for the issue in terms of railways. In that case, a sleep-deprived engineer fell asleep at the controls, leading to the derailment of several cars as the train sped around a curve, killing four, injuring 115 and causing $9 million in damage.

In New Jersey, NJ Transit and Consolidated Railroad Corp. (Conrail) have seen the most human-caused derailments in the last two decades.



Human error has caused Conrail trains to derail 146 times since 1995, or about 62 percent of the total 235. The derailment of a Conrail train in Paulsboro in 2012 is the most notable and costly derailment in the state's recent history, caused by a litany of errors that began when the train was waved through a red signal before attempting to cross an antiquated rail bridge.

A spokesman for Conrail said the company has no opinion or comment on the statistics compiled by NJ Advance Media.

Meanwhile, about 65 percent of NJ Transit's 200 derailments since 1995 have been caused by human error, the data show. While the vast majority have not caused any injury or loss of life, several of the derailments have snarled commuter traffic for hours along the state's congested northeast corridor.

In a statement, NJ Transit officials said they were aware of the statistics, and attribute it to strict reporting standard.

"(NJ Transit) does appear to have a higher incident rate of derailments (yard derailments and otherwise) however, in large measure this is due to our self-imposed rigorous and strict reporting," spokeswoman Jennifer Nelson said in a statement. "We err on the side of caution and address even the slightest of incidents (ones that would normally not require the replacement of equipment, for example) so that we can address the safety problem as a whole. Doing so keeps our customers safer and our equipment maintained to the highest degree of functionality -- but it also drives up our costs which then results in the mandatory reporting of the information to the FRA."

The Federal Railroad Administration requires reporting of any incident or hazard causing injury, death or damage to equipment or infrastructure. NJ Transit also said it routinely reviews data and addresses issues with employees. The agency also stated that derailments on their property have declined since 2009, when they became the first public agency to adopt the Confidential Close Call Reporting System, which allows employees to anonymously report hazards or potential problems.

Data show that from 2009 to 2014, NJ transit averaged 13.3 derailments per year in the Garden State, down from 16.3 for the six years prior, but up from 12 when compared to data back to 1995. The rate of NJ Transit derailments attributed to human error has changed little over the last 15 years.

Both Pottroff and Robins said the congested nature of the Garden State's rail system, particularly in the northeastern part of the state, may contribute to the higher failure rate.

Otherwise, it remains unclear why the state's rate is so high compared to the rest of the nation.

While scrutiny following the Amtrak crash is increasingly focusing on the actions of the train's engineer, it may be weeks before a cause for the derailment is known. But even if human error is ruled to be the primary cause of last week's disaster, data show it is not the leading cause of the federally-funded corporations recent derailments, neither in New Jersey nor the rest of the nation.

Data show that infrastructural issues involving the track or the underlying roadbed are the single-most significant issue involving accidents or derailments for the company.

In the days following the Amtrak crash in Philadelphia, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) has renewed his call for investment in rail infrastructure, which he said lags other transportation industries considerably. Booker said he is pushing for funding for new safety features, such as increasing the number of engineers per train and the implementation of Positive Train Control systems, which can automatically control train movement in the event that the crew becomes unable.

"We had a big hearing on this just last week," he said. "Everybody that was present talked about the lack of infrastructure investment not only being a fiscally irresponsible position ... but people also noted in that hearing but it is also making accidents more apt to happen. It was foreshadowing, unfortunately, for what happened (last) week."

Pottroff said while he believes railroad safety should be a national priority, he is pessimistic that any significant change will be made on a local or national level without Congressional action.

"There's a cultural focus on profit versus the long-term savings of investing in infrastructure. It's a culture in this industry and they're able to kind of set their own view of the world and their view is we want short-term profits," he said. "It'll have to be Congress, at this point. I don't really see another way."

Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.