# Ace Train derailment 3/7/16



## bobnjulie (Mar 7, 2016)

Just breaking..... train derailed near Niles Canyon.


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## bobnjulie (Mar 7, 2016)

Alameda County Fire tweeted out pictures. You can see a car in the creek.


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## Blackwolf (Mar 7, 2016)

This has turned into a full MCI (Mass Casualty Incident.) No sure number on the injured, but there are several being transported to the hospital with what are reported as "major injuries." Those who are only lightly injured, or uninjured, are waiting for tour buses to arrive for them to be transported to the hospital for evaluation.

214 passengers and crew are on the manifest. Not all have been accounted for yet.

According to the conductor, per the Incident Command, the train struck a "large oak tree that was down across the tracks, causing the lead cab-car (the train was in push mode) to derail completely and fall into Alameda Creek." The creek is currently very high due to recent rain water, and dive teams are being used to search the partially submerged car.

**UPDATE**
The buses have been re-routed to the Alameda County fairgrounds in Pleasanton. A mobile triage unit is being set up there to process passengers and crew from the train who were not injured enough to be transported via ambulance.

ACE has officially cancelled all service for Tuesday 3/7/16.


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## sodium (Mar 8, 2016)

I'm a handful of miles from Niles Canyon.

Video here too:

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Commuter-train-derails-in-Niles-Canyon-6876223.php


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## seat38a (Mar 8, 2016)

Why is it the bombardier / Rotem cab cars have a problem staying on the track but Amtrak's Bi-Level cab cars stay put on the tracks after an accident? Correct me if I'm wrong but from all the accidents over the last year, the Amtrak equipment seems to be much more resilient than the commuter rails.


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## chakk (Mar 8, 2016)

All passengers now accounted for. 14 injured (10 minor and 4 serious but not life-threatening).


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## CCC1007 (Mar 8, 2016)

Could it be the integration of the "snow plow" into the pilot of the car?


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## chakk (Mar 8, 2016)

There has been a LOT of rain in and around Niles Canyon over the past 3 days, so I am betting that washout of part of the roadbed will be found to be a contributing factor.


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## Amtrak505&8306 (Mar 8, 2016)

If ACE retires it Bombardier Cabs. At least we'll have Coaster and Caltrain still using them.


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## CCC1007 (Mar 8, 2016)

Considering the conductor reported hitting a tree...


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## Trainmans daughter (Mar 8, 2016)

The report I read says there was a tree across the track.


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## Eric S (Mar 8, 2016)

seat38a said:


> Why is it the bombardier / Rotem cab cars have a problem staying on the track but Amtrak's Bi-Level cab cars stay put on the tracks after an accident? Correct me if I'm wrong but from all the accidents over the last year, the Amtrak equipment seems to be much more resilient than the commuter rails.


Is that actually the case? Not trying to be argumentative, just wondering if there's actually evidence that Car Type X is more resilient than Car Type Y. Could it just be more of one car is in operation (the Bombardier cars are extremely common around North America, almost the standard commuter rail car outside of the NEC and Chicago areas)? Or that there have been different types of crashes leading to different results?


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## CCC1007 (Mar 8, 2016)

When was the last time that an Amtrak train in push mode in California hit a tree? That would be the best comparison with this incident.


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## seat38a (Mar 8, 2016)

CCC1007 said:


> When was the last time that an Amtrak train in push mode in California hit a tree? That would be the best comparison with this incident.


February, my train. Was 2 hours late because it hit a tree. They had people come out and clear it up but nothing derailed. Also, another train I was on hit a car, and did not derail.


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## seat38a (Mar 8, 2016)

Eric S said:


> seat38a said:
> 
> 
> > Why is it the bombardier / Rotem cab cars have a problem staying on the track but Amtrak's Bi-Level cab cars stay put on the tracks after an accident? Correct me if I'm wrong but from all the accidents over the last year, the Amtrak equipment seems to be much more resilient than the commuter rails.
> ...


Our Amtrak trains out here get into accidents with cars and trucks quite often unfortunatly, but the end result is nothing like what we see with Metrolink and ACE.


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## CCC1007 (Mar 8, 2016)

I would venture that there was just bad luck in the two instances of derailment that have occurred in the last thirteen months.


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## Eric S (Mar 8, 2016)

There are so many variables at play in the various crashes that it's really hard to just compare a few examples and draw conclusions from them. With just a few examples to draw from, I'd tend to agree with CCC1007.


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## tp49 (Mar 9, 2016)

It was reported on the news last night that a mudslide so it was a tree and the debris the mudslide brought with it that the train hit and caused it to derail.


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## sechs (Mar 11, 2016)

Amtrak505&8306 said:


> If ACE retires it Bombardier Cabs. At least we'll have Coaster and Caltrain still using them.


I see it as more likely that they'll be picking up a couple of Metrolink's old cars as replacements, if necessary


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## MikefromCrete (Mar 11, 2016)

sechs said:


> Amtrak505&8306 said:
> 
> 
> > If ACE retires it Bombardier Cabs. At least we'll have Coaster and Caltrain still using them.
> ...


Why would ACE retire the Bombardier cabs? Any other cab car -- or a locomotive -- would also have landed in the creek after hitting a fallen tree in the middle of mud slid.


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