Amtrak Derailment Philadelphia (5/12/2015)

[jebr]

Service Alert from Amtrak:

Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 at North Philadelphia
Injuries reported in incident, all Amtrak service canceled this evening between New York and Philadelphia

May 12, 2015
11:15 p.m. ET
Business hours: Amtrak Media Relations, Washington: 202 906.3860;
email: [email protected]
After hours: weekends & holidays: 800 562.1904
This evening, Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188, operating from Washington to New York derailed north of Philadelphia. There were approximately 238 passengers and 5 crew members on board. Initial reports are that several passengers have been injured and taken to local medical facilities for treatment. Local emergency responders are on the scene and an investigation is ongoing. Northeast Corridor service between New York and Philadelphia is suspended.
Persons with questions about their friends and family aboard this train have a special number to call for information: 800-523-9101.

Additional updates will be provided when available, including on the Amtrak blog: http://blog.amtrak.com/2015/05/amtrak-northeast-regional-train-188-north-philadelphia/
Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant.
Passengers with travel plans can confirm their train's status, change their plans or review refund information using a range of tools – including Amtrak.com, smartphone apps or by calling 800-USA-RAIL. Service Alerts, Passenger Notices and other announcements are posted at Amtrak.com/alerts.
To be notified of service disruptions on the Northeast Corridor (including Acela Express, Northeast Regional and other corridor services), follow @AmtrakNEC on Twitter.

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[Jon Parker]

I think you missed the point. The first car was upright and seemed to have seperated from the other cars but was banged up even if it technically was off the rails.

A combination of seperation of cars and locomotive along with the damage to the front car makes me think it was something other than just a fault with the tracks and my guess is sabotage based on what I have seen. If there was a track problem, cars would have all just derailed together. If car was speeding then there would have been a different pattern as well. Someone understood how to derail this train car and people were reporting something went on with another SEPTA train as well and it seems like someone wanted to block off the North eastern corridor. That is how I see it right now. Anyone else see it this way or see anything that they may add which couod have been overlooked. Information is still coming in.

I'm sorry, but you don't have any actual information to provide unfortunately. All any of us have are some dark, spotty pictures of overturned and mangled cars. There is nothing in any of the pictures that can be seen from the internet to suggest "sabotage". Maybe there was excessive flange wear on the 3rd car that caused the derailment? Maybe the rail rolled over? The physics of train derailments cannot be predicted from crappy photos taken at night with light provided from flashlights. Anything said right now is just speculation.

 

[Ryan]

So correct, it deserves to be repeated twice.

Random "expert" on MSNBC just raised wheel failure as a possible cause. Sounds as plausible as any other.

 

[Bob Dylan]

CNN just quoted an " eye witness" as saying he heard an explosion and saw a fire ball in the first car before it came off the tracks and imploded!

Several interviews with passengers that were on the train and phone videos from an NBC producer that was aboard 188 as well as Rep. Murphy's tweets and pics!

There will be plenty of info and evidence for the NTSB to work with on this one for sure!

Also, according to MSNBC, a Fire Chief now reports at least 6 dead with several in critical condition @ area hospitals and said that there are bodies underneath the destroyed car!

Secondary searches are now occurring and there is a lot more light on the scene making it easier to see the destruction!

Tom is correct, there is a lot of so called " experts" giving out bum information and wild speculation on what has occurred and why!

 

[Ryan]

With the exception of this Larry guy, the MSNBC coverage seems to be actually pretty decent. Sounds like the local NBC affiliate.

Whoever they have in the chopper is amazingly clueful.

 

[AlexandriaVATraveler]

It seems almost inevitable that the count of fatalities will rise, unfortunately.

 

[Jake]

Looks to me like high speed in the curve caused the derail! The car thats ripped in half looks like it hit one of those huge I beams that hold up the electric wires. You can see the beam bent and curled into whats left of that car.If you look at the area with Google street view you can get the idea.Even the Loco looks to have been on its side ant one point and then righted itself somehow. Im no expert but looks like what happened to me.

Its sad.

 

[jis]

The mangled car is now marked with a big number one, presumably denoting it was the first car of the train. There is a car marked with a big two which is the first intact car with a big hole in its roof, and the car following that has a big three written on it all in some sort of reddish paint.

 

[RampWidget]

CNN interviewing 3 pax live via telephone at this moment...

 

[jebr]

There's some chilling photos and videos on Vox.

 

[Ryan]

OK, this Larry guy is a full on *****. 25-30 MPH, and clearly a side impact?

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Comparing past accidents that have been investigated by officials and ongoing accident scenes is like comparing apples to apple seeds. You can't draw any meaningful conclusions that way...

I will say that bad as this looks (and no doubt will get as the night winds on) it could have been much worse. Amtrak's worst accident in at least 15 years and over 90% survived, less than half seriously injured. Oftentimes transportation accidents result with 100% casualties.

edit for clarity, jis.

 

[jis]

Not on trains. Indeed I can't even think of the last mainline train accident with 100% casualties!

 

[CHamilton]

With the exception of this Larry guy, the MSNBC coverage seems to be actually pretty decent. Sounds like the local NBC affiliate.

Whoever they have in the chopper is amazingly clueful.

Yes, I give NBC 10 high marks for not speculating. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Amtrak-Derailment-Philadelphia--303536331.html

 

[eblkheart]

Just throwing this out there... but it looks like the front or near the front of the locomotive looks a bit charred. Am I the only one thinking this?

 

[Orie]

Some panels came off on the front right of the train, I don't think it's charring. Just missing front panels.

 

[Reekay]

CNN had a "Civil Rights Lawyer" talking about how "collapsible cars" weren't installed on the train and how that could have been a factor. *Facepalm* These people could have called me up if they were looking for information. I'm pretty sure I could have provided more information than some of their "Experts"

 

[acelafella]

why havent the news agencies mentioned that this is practically at the exact spot where the Pennsy's Congressional

derailed in Sept 1943 killing 79. I believe that the 50mph speed restriction on this s-curve dates from that wreck.

 

[Ryan]

Because they don't know that.

 

[CHamilton]

why havent the news agencies mentioned that this is practically at the exact spot where the Pennsy's Congressional

derailed in Sept 1943 killing 79. I believe that the 50mph speed restriction on this s-curve dates from that wreck.

It was mentioned on the local NBC affiliate.

 

[RampWidget]

Good grief... I thought CNN coverage & "experts" were bad... FOX is worse and their talking heads are as lost as last year's Easter egg...

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Wikipedia already got that detail in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankford_Junction_train_wreck#Similar_accidents

why havent the news agencies mentioned that this is practically at the exact spot where the Pennsy's Congressional

derailed in Sept 1943 killing 79. I believe that the 50mph speed restriction on this s-curve dates from that wreck.

 

[Ryan]

MSNBC seems to have dumped Larry and has resumed clueful discussion without crackpot theories.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I'm curious as to what's in those tank cars, anybody have any word?

 

[Bob Dylan]

MSNBC seems to have dumped Larry and has resumed clueful discussion without crackpot theories.

True this! CNN and FOX are now letting babbling " experts" spout theories as clueless anchors ask idiotic questions!