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Report: At least 6 dead after Amtrak train derails from bridge onto Interstate 5 near Olympia
Several people were killed Monday morning when an Amtrak train derailed and fell off a bridge over Interstate 5 near Mounts Road between Lakewood and Olympia. 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.
There were 78 passengers and five crew members on the train when it derailed, according to Amtrak.
The train was running on a new, faster service route using a new bypass. This was the first day that the new route was used.
Also at CNN. Amtrak statement about service disruption.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 19 2017, @02:46AM (6 children)
Was he asked or was he "volunteering" this information. Or was the reported who asked a shill? Also I doubt that boondoggle would save shit, just cost untold millions. If it wirked at all it wouldnt let the train leave the station. These are neither bullet trains nor bullet train tracks, they need to fuxk off with this fantasy they can make the trains run faster and jerkiff thinking about all the saved "carbon."
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday December 19 2017, @04:10AM (3 children)
This seems to fall in the "Corporate efficiency" category (aka "corner cutting and cost saving" - this time almost literally, as the train seems to have entered a corner with a "cutting" speed).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday December 19 2017, @05:27AM (2 children)
What part of this was Corporate?
Government train.
Government tracks.
Government operator.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Tuesday December 19 2017, @05:56AM (1 child)
If you stick "local" in front of "Government tracks", then you are right [wikipedia.org].
I needed to look over the details, took me a while. Until then, "corporation bashing" is right most of the time; when it's not, it's a good exercise anyway (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 19 2017, @04:57PM
Corporations are Government created fictions. Corporation problems are Government problems are corruption problems, it is wise to not forget this.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 19 2017, @08:41AM (1 child)
It was not traveling anywhere near bullet train speed. At the time of derailment it was going almost as fast as the top speed of our oldest, slowest trains here in Denmark. And even our fastest trains are slow compared to the rest of Europe - and only the French TGV go as fast as a bullet train.
The derailed train was going just under 130 km/h.
Our slowest trains have a top speed of 130 km/h.
Our fastest train have a top speed around 200 km/h.
German ICE have a top speed of 280 km/h
French TGV has a top speed of 320 km/h according to Wikipedia, though I think it was increased to 350 km/h.
Bullet trains (Shinkansen) also have a top speed of 320 km/h.
Incidentally, 130 km/h used to be the top speed of certain steam locomotives.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 19 2017, @02:29PM
That's what the train tracker said, but it shouldn't be true. That particular curve has a speed limit of only 30mph. So, if the train was going as fast as the tracker suggests, then that would certainly be sufficient to cause a derailment.
The worst thing though is that this wasn't really needed. It's projected to save about 10 minutes each trip, but destroy the view and because of the location of the tracks, it's likely to increase fatal crashes with pedestrians and traffic.