Mockingbird Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 (edited) Quote DUPONT, Wash. -- An Amtrak train has derailed on an overpass in Washington, authorities said Monday. At this time, all lanes of traffic remain blocked on Interstate 5. The Washington State Department of Transportation tweeted a photo of the derailment, urging motorists to avoid the area. CBS News affiliate KIRO-TV reports first responders are treating the derailment as a mass casualty incident. Authorities have not yet provided details on injuries. Amtrak train 501 was part of a service that launched Monday morning. The service was supposed to be rated for a maximum speed of 79 mph for the section where it derailed in DuPont, according to passenger Chris Karnes. Karnes, who was on board the train when it derailed, said at least seven cars derailed from the tracks. The emergency doors were not functioning correctly, which forced passengers to kick out train windows to exit. "We had just passed the city of DuPont and it seemed like we were going around a curve," Karnes said. "All of a sudden, we felt this rocking and creaking noise, and it felt like we were heading down a hill. The next thing we know, we're being slammed into the front of our seats, windows are breaking, we stop, and there's water gushing out of the train. People were screaming." "The tracks for this line were supposed to be upgraded to be able to handle higher speeds," he continued. "I'm not sure what happened at this juncture." The cause of the derailment remains under investigation. Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amtrak-train-derailment-tacoma-washington-traffic-today-live-updates/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven P. Administrators Posted December 18, 2017 Administrators Share Posted December 18, 2017 Oh crap From BBC "Train carriage plummets on to a highway in Washington state and there are reports of casualties" wtf! Mockingbird 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven P. Administrators Posted December 18, 2017 Administrators Share Posted December 18, 2017 It's in Seattle, casualties not known yet, reports of "some injured". Mockingbird 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven P. Administrators Posted December 18, 2017 Administrators Share Posted December 18, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 (edited) Good grief!! They just said it was the 1st day of service. Hoping the "mass casualty" part isn't true. Edited December 18, 2017 by DocM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 (edited) Live video if anyone is interested. Deaths are reported, not sure how many. https://www.reuters.tv/l/JhN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vishal1082 Veteran Posted December 18, 2017 Veteran Share Posted December 18, 2017 The BBC report says people are still trapped in the train, and one of the carriages is upside down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 (edited) Looks like the fatalities may not just be the people on the train. Cars on the roads were hit as well. 75 passengers and 5 crew members were on the train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 (edited) Reports here this was a newly redone track. Someone has a lot of explaining to do. At least 6 dead https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/train-derails-from-bridge-onto-interstate-5-near-olympia/ Quote The Associated Press, citing an unnamed U.S. official, reported that at least six people were killed in the crash. Gov. Jay Inslee has called a state of emergency in response to the derailment. Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer told news media that there were fatalities on the train and that motorists had been injured, but not killed. A total of 77 people were sent to hospitals in Pierce and Thurston counties, according to CHI Franciscan Health, which operates numerous hospitals in Western Washington. Four of the injured are “level red” patients, with critical injuries. The injured are being taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Claire Hospital in Lakewood, St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor and Tacoma General Hospital and Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. Edited December 18, 2017 by DocM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 Sabotage, maybe? The train was reportedly doing 80mph, so something on the tracks would do this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said: Sabotage, maybe? The train was reportedly doing 80mph, so something on the tracks would do this... There have been several reports of foreign objects on the track, and reports that IS and anarchist groups have included rail sabotage tips in their literature. Anyone see Samuel L. walking the tracks with a glass cane & toolbox? (sorry, had to) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 (edited) 18 minutes ago, DocM said: There have been several reports of foreign objects on the track, and reports that IS and anarchist groups have included rail sabotage tips in their literature. Everything is because of ISIS these days. Something bad happens, ISIS. This is not the first Amtrak disaster over the past several years either. One was last year. Amtrak needs to get their ###### together. +E.Worm Jimmy 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakjak Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 11 hours ago, techbeck said: Everything is because of ISIS these days. Something bad happens, ISIS. This is not the first Amtrak disaster over the past several years either. One was last year. Amtrak needs to get their ###### together. And some idiots on the right are claiming antifa did it as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Global Moderator Posted December 19, 2017 Global Moderator Share Posted December 19, 2017 That'd do it. Now, time to find out why it was going that fast (human or mechanical error) DocM 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 15 minutes ago, Jim K said: That'd do it. Now, time find out why it was going that fast (human or mechanical error) Was another amtrak crash where they were going twice the limit as well. Was a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakjak Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 3 hours ago, Jim K said: That'd do it. Now, time find out why it was going that fast (human or mechanical error) Hopefully the driver gets whatever charges could be coming to him. DocM 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 7 minutes ago, wakjak said: Hopefully the driver gets whatever charges could be coming to him. Assuming the driver was at fault. Could have been a mechanical reason outside his control that caused such speed. Either way, punishment is not the focus right now. Emn1ty 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryster Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 42 minutes ago, wakjak said: Hopefully the driver gets whatever charges could be coming to him. There should be systems in place to prevent a driver from being able to make such a mistake. Last article I read said that the train control system designed to do just that was not functional on this train. Even if the driver made the mistake, Amtrak are just as culpable. Had the driver received the necessary training to run that new stretch of track? Who knows. It's not always clear cut. Emn1ty and Dick Montage 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 3 hours ago, Ryster said: There should be systems in place to prevent a driver from being able to make such a mistake. Last article I read said that the train control system designed to do just that was not functional on this train. Even if the driver made the mistake, Amtrak are just as culpable. Had the driver received the necessary training to run that new stretch of track? Who knows. It's not always clear cut. Both should face charges if this comes down to anything not a mechanical fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said: Both should face charges if this comes down to anything not a mechanical fault. Amtrak's safety record is being questioned now and looked at closely. Technical fault is still their fault. Sounds like they need better quality checks and testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 1 hour ago, techbeck said: Amtrak's safety record is being questioned now and looked at closely. Technical fault is still their fault. Sounds like they need better quality checks and testing. Sounds like a job for automation, just like new cars are going to be self driving a lot sooner than people think. Self-driving cars are already legal and under pretty heavy testing here in Michigan. Just in time for the Loop and Hyperloop projects that are getting started in Los Angeles (digging), from New York to Washington DC through Baltimore (Maryland has approved), and the proposed Loop link in Chicago connecting O'Hare Airport to the rest of their mass transit (in RFP) Loop: up to 125 mph car and people transit tunnels. Hyperloop: up to 800 mph passenger & cargo tunnels. Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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