Amtrak train crashes in Philadelphia, multiple injuries reported

[RobJohnson]

DEVELOPING: Several people reportedly were injured after an Amtrak train crashed in Philadelphia Tuesday evening.

Northeast Regional Train 188 was traveling from Washington, D.C., to New York City when it crashed just northeast of Philadelphia's Center City at approximately 9:30 p.m. local time. The front of the train was going into a corner when it shook.

Officials told MyFoxPhilly.com that at least 50 people are injured. The number of passengers on the train was not immediately made available.

An Associated Press employee, Paul Cheung, was on the train and said it appeared it went off the tracks. He said he was fortunate to be at the back of the train and the front of it "looks pretty bad."

FOX NEWS

Terrible news. Video at the link.

[Lanie]

Really sad.

[RobJohnson]

At least 5 killed after Amtrak train derails in Philadelphia

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/05/12/amtrak-train-crashes-in-philadelphia-several-people-appear-to-be-injured/

[phillygirl]

I was on that train last month with two of the boys. There were 2 accidents ahead of us, that caused a long delay. I was uneasy the entire ride and found myself praying through most of the ride, out of concern that something that was going to happen that would injure the boys. What a mess.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

I was on that train last month with two of the boys. There were 2 accidents ahead of us, that caused a long delay. I was uneasy the entire ride and found myself praying through most of the ride, out of concern that something that was going to happen that would injure the boys. What a mess.

That used to be a popular route. What's the issue now? Are the trains or track in bad repair?

[phillygirl]

That used to be a popular route. What's the issue now? Are the trains or track in bad repair?

I think it's the track.

[Adam]

That used to be a popular route. What's the issue now? Are the trains or track in bad repair?

There has been a long-ongoing issue regarding the track in "the corridor." The reasons are myriad, but the bottom line ultimately is that there are a significant number of "unstoppable force vs. immovable object" types of infrastructure problems along the way that pretty much no amount of money will ever fix. Basically, there is just too much stuff that has grown up around all of the track areas that there just really isn't any viable way to improve and correct the track issues. 100 or 125 years ago, it might have been fix-able (of course, no one envisioned dozens of 150-MPH trains per day at that time), but nowadays it's a political impossibility. So you've got freight and passenger traffic sharing the same tracks that are already over-burdened with traffic volume.

[Adam]

Of course, the tracks weren't made for trains to go 100 MPH into a sharp curve.

[JB]

I think it's the track.

I'm hearing the train was doing 100 in a 50. Just hearing it, nothing more.

eta: and above is a link.

[phillygirl]

I'm hearing the train was doing 100 in a 50. Just hearing it, nothing more.

eta: and above is a link.

Uggh. Even worse. How horrible. One of the victims was a Navy Academy Midshipman.

[RobJohnson]

I was on that train last month with two of the boys. There were 2 accidents ahead of us, that caused a long delay. I was uneasy the entire ride and found myself praying through most of the ride, out of concern that something that was going to happen that would injure the boys. What a mess.

Scary.

[scott]

And of course funding is being blamed.

How much money does it cost to stop the driver from breaking the rules?

[Tom Servo]

And of course funding is being blamed.

How much money does it cost to stop the driver from breaking the rules?

It really does amaze me how quickly the Democrats in Washington used this as a jumping off point to bash Republicans for trying to "cut" Amtrak costs because the investigation revealed the unsafe speed of the train.

[RobJohnson]

It's all George Bush's fault.

[Gingersnap]

If the train was going over the speed limit (and it seems clear that it was), then there was an equipment failure or an operator failure.

Given the fact that this exact scenario has played out before both here and abroad, there's obviously some chance that the operator was fiddling with his cellphone and was too distracted to notice the speed (or he could have had a hooker in there with him, I guess).

I read that he is claiming he has no memory of the crash which could be true given that he had a concussion and other injuries.

If he was distracted by his phone........