What went wrong, why and how did it happen?

• An ore train derails over newly installed rails. Who is at fault?

• A manifest train derails over worn rail creating a mixed chemical spill and evacuation of a town. Was the railroad negligent?

• The rail fractures and the train jumps off the track and into a factory causing a fatality. Was the railway at fault?

• A rail weld fractures derailing one which partially falls over an adjacent track leading to a collision with another train. Subsequent propane tank car explosions lead to evacuation of a town. What caused the initial rail break?

• Every month, a train derails at the same location with a 17º curve. What was going on?

• The rail suffers a horizontal split along the base of the web derailing a train. Is something wrong with the rail?

In these and other cases, ARRT was retained as lead technical investigator and adviser. ARRT was successful in providing answers to the cause of each derailment. Our work was also pivotal in the successful prosecution or defense of each case.