Amtrak

National

Amtrak Train Derails Near Dodge City, Kansas; Bend In Rail Is Reported

7:25pm March 14, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Citing a government official, the AP is reporting that before the train derailed, an engineer had noticed a bend in the tracks ahead and pulled the emergency brake.

Amtrak workers install new electrical cable in the north tube of the Hudson River tunnels. Amtrak says roughly 200,000 riders use these tunnels on a daily basis.

Aging Tunnels Under Hudson River Threaten To Disrupt Transport, Commerce

2:48pm August 26, 2015

by Joel Rose

It's been 105 years since the rail tunnels between Manhattan and New Jersey were built. But even as they show their wear and tear, politicians disagree on who should foot the bill to replace them.

Queue Listen Now

Emergency personnel work at the scene the day after a deadly train derailment on May 12 in Philadelphia.

National

Amtrak Engineer Not On Cellphone Before Philadelphia Derailment, NTSB Says

10:43am June 10, 2015

by Brian Naylor

An investigation found no evidence that the engineer was distracted by calls or texts ahead of the May 12 accident in which eight people died and some 200 others were injured.

National

Most Commuter Rails Won't Meet Deadline For Mandated Safety Systems

7:59am June 03, 2015

by David Schaper

Most commuter trains are several years away from implementing Positive Train Control system to prevent derailment. With Americans taking 490 million commuter rail trips last year, the stakes are high.

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FBI Finds No Evidence Of Amtrak Damage From Firearm, NTSB Says

5:17pm May 18, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

Meanwhile, Amtrak restored full service on the Northeast Corridor. Trains between Philadelphia and New York City had been halted for a week, after a derailment killed eight people.

Amtrak To Restore Service Between Philadelphia And New York

7:01pm May 17, 2015

by Camila Domonoske

That portion of the Northeast Corridor — the nation's busiest railroad — was shut down while the train service investigated Tuesday's fatal derailment. It will reopen early Monday.

Graphic showing how positive train control works by slowing or stopping a train.

Red Tape Slows Control System That Could Have Saved Speeding Train

7:35pm May 16, 2015

by David Schaper

Investigators say the control network would have prevented this week's crash, and Amtrak vows to have it implemented by the 2016 deadline. But technical and bureaucratic hurdles are holding others up.

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Emergency personnel work at the scene of a deadly train wreck, on Wednesday. The FBI is now looking into the possibility that the locomotive was struck by some sort of projectile.

National

Amtrak Ordered To Take Steps To Improve Safety

6:26pm May 16, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The Federal Railroad Administration has instructed Amtrak to install new automatic control systems on its northbound trains near the area of this week's derailment and to assess risks at all curves.

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National

Investigators Examining Whether Amtrak Train Was Struck By Object

7:04pm May 15, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

An assistant conductor on the train that derailed Tuesday says she heard a radio transmission from the engineer that the locomotive had been struck. The derailment killed eight people.

Amtrak Train Accelerated Moments Before Entering Turn, NTSB Says

8:20pm May 14, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

An NTSB board member said that's when the engineer slammed on the brakes to slow it down. The derailment Tuesday in Philadelphia killed eight people. More than 200 were injured.