WA - Amtrak passenger train derails near Tacoma

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King5 reporter is tweeting from the scene also. He had been on the train reporting about it's first run, got off about ten minutes before the derailment.

https://twitter.com/AlexRozierK5

I often ride the Cascades to Vancouver as do many family members but we board further north in Edmonds.

https://twitter.com/PierceSheriff has photos of the train. AFAIK there isn't an official statement yet on deaths and injuries so I don't know if the AP report of 6 dead is accurate. I sure hope not. :tears:

https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/12/18/16791118/amtrak-cascades-train-jblm-derailment
 
Fin MsMarple’s link. https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/12/18/16791118/amtrak-cascades-train-jblm-derailment
Lots of things about this run were new—not just the route, but the high-speed locomotives pulling the train. The new trains include equipment designed to stop the train in the event of a hazard, but the system controlling that equipment wasn’t scheduled to be activated until next year.

Transitdocs.com, which maps Amtrak trains and speeds, reported that the train was moving 81 miles per hour, two miles per hour above the speed limit for that stretch of track, but it’s unclear whether speed played a role in the crash

The new route, instead of running along the waterfront, ran inland parallel to I-5 instead. JBLM’s official Twitter account posted a warning last week about the high-speed trains intersecting with base traffic.
HIGH SPEED TRAINS BEGIN RUNNING MONDAY!! Check out this important safety message from #JBLMregarding rail safety and remember, NEVER stop on the tracks! @I_Corps @62dAirliftWing @7thIDpic.twitter.com/R8YeTk9eCc
​
Click to expand...
 
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/fiel...press-releases/statement-on-amtrak-derailment

December 18, 2017
Statement on Amtrak Derailment

Local law enforcement partners are the primary entities responding to the December 18, 2017 Amtrak derailment.

The FBI is present and working with the local command post, so we are poised to offer additional resources, if needed.

At this time, there is no information to suggest a federal nexus or elevated risk to Washington residents. Please contact the Washington State Patrol for information about the incident and response. The FBI will continue to assess information as it develops.


~

"An official briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press that preliminary signs indicate that Train 501 may have struck something before going off the track about 40 miles south of Seattle. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity."

https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/amtrak-train-derail-seattle-1.15506253
 
Thanks for the thread, this is local to me. I love Olympia. It broke my heart that this happened.

It really shocked me to find out this happened, because this morning, I had a dream that I was on a train that derailed, so it really surprised (and saddened) me to find out this happened so close to home.
 
Stay well and strong Springrain. I'm sorry this touches you so close.

Trooper Will Finn‏
@wspd5pio
2m2 minutes ago
More
Train Derailment - Press update from the scene at 1:45. Representatives @wspd1pio, @Amtrak & @JBLMFire will be providing info on response & plans moving forward.

http://abcnews.go.com/live/video/special-live-1?cid=HP_LB_HED

Amtrak # Support For Families 1 800 523 9101 to take care of the passengers, the families and the crew. A family assistance center will be setup

Trooper Brook B
13 cars jumped the tracks
no confirm on casualties
Tamp down rumors
Priority recovery
No numbers yet on casualties
HAZMAT on scene to deal with fuel and batteries
4 pm next briefing tentatively
Detours on Center Drive
Advising stay as far away as you can from this area
Do not take any Exits to avoid I 5 traffic to keep the roads clear for recovery



Amtrak:
Siemens Charger Engine and P52 not under power
77 passengers 7 crew
heading to Portland
grateful train not completely full
there have been many trial runs
NOT the Inaugural Celeb which was on Friday, just first? regular passenger run
Compiling on injuries
NTSB on the scene

Screen Shot 2017-12-18 at 4.51.35 PM.jpg
 
My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the victims, and my hope and prayers for full recovery go to the injured.

I'm no engineer and at the risk of stating the obvious, that trestle should have been designed to prevent the rail cars from spilling onto the freeway. I'm used to seeing the high trestles made of steel.

Going forward, I hope we do much better in terms of safety. It's unfortunate that we have to learn this lesson in the face of tragedy.
 
Based on the speed of the train and looking at that curve, this is a case that is eerily similar to what happened in Philadelphia in 2015,” Millhouse said. “I believe for some reason, the likely cause was the train was going too fast going around this curve and derailing and tipping over as a result.

Congress has ordered railroads to install automatic braking, in order to slow down trains that are speeding or halt them where signals indicate, with a deadline at the end of 2018. Track owner BNSF reported to the Federal Railroad Administration on Oct. 31 that the completion date for the Cascade corridor hasn’t been hasn’t been determined yet.

“The big tragedy here is that if indeed it was over-speed, positive train control would have prevented this accident,” Millhouse said.

BBM

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/12/18/amtrak-train-derails-dangles-over-interstate-washington-state/960946001/
 
I have heard on TV news stations that the train hit an object. Has anyone heard what it might be?
 
PaulR said:
Those speeds are usually in rural areas (at least the train I was in Germany was in the middle of nothing), trains slow down around urban areas.

Also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenzhou_train_collision
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschede_derailment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela_derailment
Click to expand...

PaulR
Thx for above links & info.

Picki-
re safety of US pass trains compared to other countries over the past several yrs,
see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents_(2010–present
Lots of crashes
 
kdg411 said:
Based on the speed of the train and looking at that curve, this is a case that is eerily similar to what happened in Philadelphia in 2015,” Millhouse said. “I believe for some reason, the likely cause was the train was going too fast going around this curve and derailing and tipping over as a result.

Congress has ordered railroads to install automatic braking, in order to slow down trains that are speeding or halt them where signals indicate, with a deadline at the end of 2018. Track owner BNSF reported to the Federal Railroad Administration on Oct. 31 that the completion date for the Cascade corridor hasn’t been hasn’t been determined yet.

“The big tragedy here is that if indeed it was over-speed, positive train control would have prevented this accident,” Millhouse said.

BBM

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/12/18/amtrak-train-derails-dangles-over-interstate-washington-state/960946001/
Click to expand...

I read an article a little while ago that said PTC was installed on this track. This section was recently overhauled to the tune of $180 + million. Problem was, this was the first day to run the train on the track and they hadn't yet activated the PTC. The whole thing sounds like a major screw up.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/amtrak-train-derailment-olympia-interstate-5-seattle/

Train orders for that curve are 30 mph, per the article above. If you look at the overhead photos of the accident, you can see it's a very sharp curve. A motorist on I-5 was quoted as saying he saw the train traveling parallel to the highway before it crashed. He said it passed was traveling faster than him and he was going 60 mph.

Daniel Konzelman, who was traveling on Interstate 5 south parallel to the train, said he was traveling at 60 miles per hour or more and watched the train pass his vehicle about a half-mile before the crash.
Click to expand...

Conductor and engineer were disoriented, but they survived the crash. They should be able to participate in the investigation, JMO.

Update: Here's audio of the conductor calling for help on his radio. He says they just went off the track at the curve, no mention of any obstacle. I can't copy the link, but just scroll down the page at the Seattle Times
 
 
MsJosie said:
I have heard on TV news stations that the train hit an object. Has anyone heard what it might be?
Click to expand...

No clue as to what, but I've heard the same report on multiple stations. moo
 
Jax49 said:
No clue as to what, but I've heard the same report on multiple stations. moo
Click to expand...

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/amtrak-train-derailment-olympia-interstate-5-seattle/

In the audio at the link above, the conductor says they were going around the corner and everything went on the ground. No mention of anything on the tracks.

JMO, they were going waay too fast for that curve. Speed limit there is 30 mph

Aerial photo at link shows how sharp the curve is.

https://www.seattletimes.com/tag/amtrak-train-derailment/
 
I've been thinking about it all day and I'm just heartbroken. It's so sad that something like this could happen just like that, in a town you love. ETA: I've been in the exact spot where it happened, many times.
 
Betty P said:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/amtrak-train-derailment-olympia-interstate-5-seattle/

In the audio at the link above, the conductor says they were going around the corner and everything went on the ground. No mention of anything on the tracks.

JMO, they were going waay too fast for that curve. Speed limit there is 30 mph

Aerial photo at link shows how sharp the curve is.

https://www.seattletimes.com/tag/amtrak-train-derailment/
Click to expand...

Wow. Thank you. I didn't realize the curve is so sharp. They didn't need to hit anything - 79/80 mph is ridiculous.

moo
 
Betty P said:
I read an article a little while ago that said PTC was installed on this track. This section was recently overhauled to the tune of $180 + million. Problem was, this was the first day to run the train on the track and they hadn't yet activated the PTC. The whole thing sounds like a major screw up.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/amtrak-train-derailment-olympia-interstate-5-seattle/

Train orders for that curve are 30 mph, per the article above. If you look at the overhead photos of the accident, you can see it's a very sharp curve. A motorist on I-5 was quoted as saying he saw the train traveling parallel to the highway before it crashed. He said it passed was traveling faster than him and he was going 60 mph.



Conductor and engineer were disoriented, but they survived the crash. They should be able to participate in the investigation, JMO.

Update: Here's audio of the conductor calling for help on his radio. He says they just went off the track at the curve, no mention of any obstacle. I can't copy the link, but just scroll down the page at the Seattle Times
Click to expand...

Agreed. This is starting to feel like operator control issue. It hasn`t been published, at least yet, who was in charge on the 501.

The Amtrak/Cascade trains are pulled by new Charger locomotive. While equipped with positive train control systems that automatically stop trains when troubled is detected, the PTC system isn’t due to be activated until 2018.

So, it was installed, not activated for use yet.

http://gpsworld.com/no-positive-train-control-on-train-that-derailed-over-i-5/

I looked at pics of the charger locomotive and if it did hit something, it isn`t visible anywhere. Could a vehicle even reach the tracks on that overpass? :thinking:
 
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