KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
A federal investigation found a Kansas City-area railroad employee was improperly punished after flagging a train crash and raising safety concerns, the U.S. Department of Labor said Monday.
OSHA investigators concluded Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. violated whistleblower protections when it handed down a suspension connected to the report.
The case goes back to an Aug. 11, 2024 collision at the company’s Knoche Yard, located at 4747 E. Front St.
The worker was not at the scene and no one was hurt, but after hearing about the incident from a co-worker, the employee reported it to the Federal Railroad Administration two days later.
According to the OSHA, company leaders already knew about the crash through scanner chatter and internal conversations but did not open a formal inquiry until the federal report triggered one.
In September 2024, the employee revealed they had made the report.
The news release says the company accused the employee of breaking internal rules by not notifying management, despite not being involved in the crash itself.
The company suspended the worker for 20 days without pay.
Federal officials determined that action violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act, which shields employees from retaliation when they report safety issues.
As part of the ruling, OSHA ordered the company to reverse the suspension, repay lost wages with interest, clear the discipline from the employee’s record, and pay additional damages.
The employee's...
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