Post by LoveTrains on May 12, 2015 21:29:36 GMT -5
Amtrak train 188 derailed tonight outside of Philadelphia. Pictures look bad. My heart goes out to anyone and everyone involved. At least 8-9 cars affected with many on their sides.
This is so scary. It's such a popular route, especially the philly-NYC leg. It was actually in the port Richmond neighborhood, which is in the city, although in the far northern part - but only a few miles/5-10 minutes from 30th street station, the major Amtrak hub in philly.
The tracks are legitimately torn up. I don't know how they are going to get Amtrak running again soon. I think the philly commuter trains to and from Trenton also use the tracks. It's really bad.
The tracks are legitimately torn up. I don't know how they are going to get Amtrak running again soon. I think the philly commuter trains to and from Trenton also use the tracks. It's really bad.
The Chestnut Hill West line uses those tracks, too.
The tracks are legitimately torn up. I don't know how they are going to get Amtrak running again soon. I think the philly commuter trains to and from Trenton also use the tracks. It's really bad.
The Chestnut Hill West line uses those tracks, too.
Well that makes sense. My septa app was saying chestnut hill west was shut down due to "police activity." Which I suppose is technically true, but it says the Trenton line is shut down due to a derailment.
It would be nice for septa to put out a statement online, but who am I kidding? It's septa. They will deal with it when they get into the office tomorrow.
This is so sad and scary. We are going to Philly this weekend and are driving instead of taking the train, but we've taken this route many times (both DC-Philly and DC-NYC).
What a horrific tragedy. We were just watching the news and they are lifting some of the train cars now looking for any other victims. I hope that everyone is already accounted for...I can't imagine.
This is so scary. The pictures are horrifying. We take the train to DC a few times a year for a quick weekend getaway and I was looking into it last week instead of driving to MD.
I thought of you, too LoveTrains. I was wondering what the safety record is for trains? Most of what they were showing this AM about other derailments this year was because of cars stalled on the crossing. This seems like a one in a million kind of thing though.
This is so scary. The pictures are horrifying. We take the train to DC a few times a year for a quick weekend getaway and I was looking into it last week instead of driving to MD.
I thought of you, too LoveTrains. I was wondering what the safety record is for trains? Most of what they were showing this AM about other derailments this year was because of cars stalled on the crossing. This seems like a one in a million kind of thing though.
I'd be interested too -- particularly for Amtrak trains rather than local commuter rail (or whatever you'd call NJT, LIRR, SEPTA etc.). I have been thinking about this a lot this morning because my in-laws were scheduled to take the NEC from New York to DC this afternoon to visit my sister-in-law, which is the way they always go to DC because they're scared of flying. Whereas I'm not scared of either form of transportation, but do feel safer on a plane than in a train.
I always ride in the quiet car, up front, on Amtrak and SEPTA. I know I'm totally screwed in case of a crash because of that.
I feel safer in the train than a car, though. I love taking trains.
Anyway, they have released a lot of people who were treated for minor injuries, like lacerations and broken bones. They are still trying to pair the manifest with those admitted to hospitals and make sure everyone is accounted for. A reporter at the press conference just asked if there was any truth to the rumor that they had found and removed 4 bodies from the wreckage and were working on a fifth and the mayor said he had no information or comment about where and when the deceased were found. They did report that one of the 6 people who were admitted in critical condition died overnight, so they didn't discover anyone else in the wreckage since last night. At least not yet.
No information on the engineer. I think a lot of people are interested to know if he/she is okay, or one of the injured people. I'm sure NTSB will be getting a statement ASAP if the engineer is okay.
This is so scary. The pictures are horrifying. We take the train to DC a few times a year for a quick weekend getaway and I was looking into it last week instead of driving to MD.
I thought of you, too LoveTrains. I was wondering what the safety record is for trains? Most of what they were showing this AM about other derailments this year was because of cars stalled on the crossing. This seems like a one in a million kind of thing though.
I'd be interested too -- particularly for Amtrak trains rather than local commuter rail (or whatever you'd call NJT, LIRR, SEPTA etc.). I have been thinking about this a lot this morning because my in-laws were scheduled to take the NEC from New York to DC this afternoon to visit my sister-in-law, which is the way they always go to DC because they're scared of flying. Whereas I'm not scared of either form of transportation, but do feel safer on a plane than in a train.
Let me check the amtrak forum because people are posting that type of data over there.
Trains are infinitely safer than your car, first of all, so if the choice is drive versus train, train will be safer.
Additionally, in a train accident, it is extremely uncommon that everyone dies, unlike on a plane, where that can happen.
My understanding (need to find data) is that most train accidents are grade crossing issues. This is what happens on commuter type trains (metro north accident earlier this year) and on long distance amtrak trains. This rarely happens on NEC amtrak because there are only a handful of grade crossings and most were removed. Obviously, a train with no grade crossings is safer because less likely to hit something across the tracks.
Sounds like speed was a factor in this, we should know more later. Speed was absolutely a factor in the Pennsy crash on that same spot many years ago, which i believe was one of the deadliest passenger rail incidents in the US.
No information on the engineer. I think a lot of people are interested to know if he/she is okay, or one of the injured people. I'm sure NTSB will be getting a statement ASAP if the engineer is okay.
I thought I heard him say the engineer was in the hospital and was being interviewed.
I always ride in the quiet car, up front, on Amtrak and SEPTA. I know I'm totally screwed in case of a crash because of that.
I feel safer in the train than a car, though. I love taking trains.
The first/quiet car was the one affected in the Valhalla train crash earlier this year, right? A friend of my dad's was in that car - he escaped with relatively minor injuries but it's done a number on his emotional well-being.
I love taking the train, too. Statistically it's got to be safer than driving, right?
I've taken the Amtrak DC-Newark route for work once a year. I'm scheduled to do it again in September.
I always ride in the quiet car, up front, on Amtrak and SEPTA. I know I'm totally screwed in case of a crash because of that.
I feel safer in the train than a car, though. I love taking trains.
The first/quiet car was the one affected in the Valhalla train crash earlier this year, right? A friend of my dad's was in that car - he escaped with relatively minor injuries but it's done a number on his emotional well-being.
I love taking the train, too. Statistically it's got to be safer than driving, right?
I've taken the Amtrak DC-Newark route for work once a year. I'm scheduled to do it again in September.
Yes! The one that was on fire!
Mostly I hate driving and I like the feeling of using public transit from an environmental perspective. It's also more comfortable, IMO, than my little Saturn.
Just before Tuesday's deadly Amtrak derailment, a SEPTA commuter train in the same corridor was crippled by a projectile sent through the engineer's window.
SEPTA officials said their investigation was continuing, but that there was no immediate indication the two incidents were related.
At about 9:25 p.m. Tuesday, SEPTA's northbound Train 769, en route to Trenton on tracks on the Northeast Corridor beside the Amtrak rails, was struck by "an unknown projectile" that broke the engineer's window, SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams said.
No injuries were reported and the train was held at the North Philadelphia station. The 80 passengers were transferred to buses.
About three minutes later and four miles away, near Frankford Junction, Amtrak's northbound Train 188 derailed on the Northeast Corridor tracks, killing at least six and injuring scores.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration.
"There is no indication at this time that the two incidents are related in any way," Williams said early Wednesday.
No information on the engineer. I think a lot of people are interested to know if he/she is okay, or one of the injured people. I'm sure NTSB will be getting a statement ASAP if the engineer is okay.
I thought I heard him say the engineer was in the hospital and was being interviewed.
I just heard this too! Sounds like he will pull through, so that's good.
They've reported that a student at the Naval Academy who was heading home to NY and an Associated Press employee both died.
LoveTrains, not sure if you've heard about it, but speaking of deadly train crashes, the Great Train Wreck of 1856 took place near where I live. It really helped upgrade train safety in the entire US (like switching from single tracks to parallel tracks). The line is a SEPTA rail route now, but not Amtrak.