CT train hits ATV on railroad tracks; incident under investigation by multiple agencies

A Connecticut rail train hit an ATV that was left on tracks near Berlin early Sunday, forcing about 20 passengers to have to change trains so the incident could be investigated, a Department of Transportation spokesman said.

The incident occurred a little before 11 a.m. on the tracks about three miles south of the Berlin Train Station, according to DOT spokesman Josh Morgan.

Morgan said no injuries were reported.

The ATV did not have a rider when the train hit it, but it had been left on tracks, Morgan said.

The tracks are owned by Amtrak but the train is owned by the state of Connecticut. The rail line runs between New Haven and Springfield.

Morgan said the train was northbound when it hit the unoccupied ATV. The passengers transferred to another train so they could reach their destinations, he said.

Morgan noted that no access is allowed to tracks and that any access to tracks is considered trespassing.

“It is incredibly dangerous to be anywhere near an active rail line,” he said.

Morgan said the ATV was removed and the train is out of service so it can be be inspected at the New Haven station. Other trains are running.

Morgan said as of Sunday “we do not really know” why the ATV was on the tracks. He said it remains under investigation by railroad officials, state and local police.

“They are trying to figure what it was doing there,” Morgan said, noting that officials also are seeking witnesses.