Published: August 31, 2026
BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa County — Four ArcelorMittal Liberia rail employees who spotted a developing hazard on the mainline and acted before it escalated have been honored by the company, which is also fitting its locomotives with driver alert systems to guard against fatigue on the Yekepa to Buchanan run.
Train drivers Norman Chidarikire and Rynier McCabe and train assistants Stanley Mulbah and Horace S. Neppy received the awards at an Incident Prevention Safety Award Ceremony in Buchanan. Management said the crew kept its composure, followed procedure and made decisions that stopped the situation from becoming a serious incident, protecting lives and railway infrastructure.
“This event is a testament to the alertness, skill, and dedication of our railway team,” said Felipe Lage, rail general manager at ArcelorMittal Liberia. “Even under immense pressure, they kept their composure, followed proper procedures, and made the critical decisions that kept the situation under control.”
Lage said systems and equipment can only do part of the work.
“Procedures, systems, and safety equipment provide essential layers of protection, an architecture we must continuously strengthen as a whole,” he said. “But it’s equally important to pause and recognize moments like this one, when our people step up and become the decisive layer that stops a potential incident where others weren’t enough.”
The railway runs from the company’s mining operations in Yekepa, Nimba County, to the Port of Buchanan, passing through towns, road crossings and communities along the corridor. Togar Carter, Buchanan health and safety manager, said that is what gave the crew’s response its weight.
“They didn’t just help ArcelorMittal. They helped keep Liberian citizens alive and ensured they could return home safely to their families,” Carter said.
Neppy used the ceremony to press his colleagues on fitness for duty, telling them to be honest about whether they are rested and ready before taking a shift.
“Always stay alert, and speak up if you’re not fit to work,” he said.
Fatigue is a standing risk on long-distance rail operations, and the Rail Department is strengthening its fatigue-management protocols. Among the measures being introduced is the integration of in-locomotive driver alert systems intended to monitor and support driver alertness during extended runs on the mainline.
The company said it would continue investing in safety systems and engaging employees on railway procedures.
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