NJ Transit engineer awarded $11M after passing out in 114-degree locomotive cab

https://www.nj.com/news/2023/03/nj-tran ... utType=amp

An NJ Transit engineer who suffered career-ending head injuries after passing out in a locomotive cab with non-working air conditioning that reached 114 degrees in July 2020 was awarded $11.6 million Monday by a jury in a federal labor suit.

The former engineer, Scott Lupia, 47, of Denville, filed a Federal Employer’s Liability Act suit on Dec. 27, 2021 after he was ordered to operate a locomotive with a broken air conditioner on July 21, 2020. A train master recorded a temperature of 114 degrees in the cab when he reported the broken AC unit, court papers said.

He was ordered by a chief trainmaster to operate the train anyway, the lawsuit said. Refusing to take train 6659 out would have been considered insubordination and could have cost Lupia his job, court papers said.

The high temperatures caused him to pass out, but he was able to make an emergency radio call for help and hit the emergency brakes to stop the train in Summit, before he lost consciousness and hit his head on metal in the cab, the lawsuit said.
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Wow! I always had an immense amount of respect for railroad engineers and railroaders in general. I know it's a tough and dangerous job.

I never really imagined something unfortunate like this would happen in this day & age. It's a shame, he's not old either, and he was passionate about his job

I was in NYP recently and I remember how HOT the platform area was. So I can't begin to imagine what the inside of a 114 degrees locomotive with no windows open could feel like.

I hope Mr Lupia is able to find peace and enjoyment moving forward, and I hope the safety procedures are overhauled so no one has to go through this again. All the best to Mr Lupia & his family.

"after he was ordered to operate a locomotive with a broken air conditioner on July 21, 2020."

It is puzzling to me why he was ordered to operate a train despite the heat. The trains were running pretty much empty in July of 2020 and it is not like NJT never cancels the trains. I don't understand why they wouldn't just cancel this train...

Is the Chief Trainmaster who gave the engineer the order to engage in unsafe operation being held accountable for his actions?

114°F is similar to the temperatures at the backhead of a steam locomotive. How are modern locomotives so badly ventilated as to permit cab temperatures to rise so high when AC is broken?