Amtrak Incidents

Recently a Member made inquiry regarding "all the wrecks Amtrak has'. However, even though neither the message nor the Member's screenname appear to be in good taste, I elected to respond. However, it appears that while I was preparing my response, the message was either withdrawn by the Member or was killed by the Moderator.

Nevertheless, for the Member's edification, here is the response I intended to make:

"Unfortunately, Amtrak does not have the enviable safety record that the air transport carriers do.

However, I think that five wrecks a year (noted by the originator) is a bit exagerated. Here are the recent notable Amtrak derailment incidents that come to mind:

2004 Flora-Bentonia
2003 Hinesville
2002 Hayward
2002 Kensington
2002 Crescent City
2001 Lisse
2000 Nodaway

While all had fatalities, it was hardly the magnitude of fatalaties resulting from an air transport incident, where it seems like 100% is the going number. From any of the Amtrak incidents listed, 99% or better "walked'".

difficult to make direct comparisons, however according to slate, it's too close to call

http://slate.msn.com/id/2098530

Yes it is difficult, but which is most likely to give someone a heart attack from poor service? An intercity train that is well overdue or a packed 757 sitting on the tarmac for 2 hours waiting for a gate to open up?

Gilbert B Norman wrote:2004 Flora-Bentonia
2003 Hinesville
2002 Hayward
2002 Kensington
2002 Crescent City
2001 Lisse
2000 Nodaway

While all had fatalities, it was hardly the magnitude of fatalaties resulting from an air transport incident, where it seems like 100% is the going number. From any of the Amtrak incidents listed, 99% or better "walked'".

I don't think anybody died in the Kensington wreck, nor the Hayward one.

HAPPY to stand corrected, Mr. Madison

expounding on Gil's list (superliner wrecks only)

09/22/93 - train 2 Bayou Canot AL - 02/08/95 - train 26 Boise ID - 10/09/95 - train 1 Hyder AZ 01/13/97 - train 25 Borie WY - 08/28/97 - train 4 Kingman AZ - 05/05/98 - train 22 Hutto TX - 12/20/98 - train 21 Arlington TX - 03/15/99 - train 59 Bourbonnaise IL 07/08/99 - train 2 Lissie TX - 10/22/99 - train 1 Rimlon CA - 11/09/99 - train 365 Georgetown ON 03/15/00 - train 3 Carbondale KS - 03/16/01 - train 5 Nodaway IA - 07/29/01 - train 21 St Louis MO - 09/11/01 - train 21 Marshall TX - 09/13/01 - train 5 Wendover UT -

What was the last incident on the NEC? Maryland???? One in NYC or just outside too - right?

Let's see Mr. Dinky

Chase, MD Jan 4, 1987 16 fatalities
Portal, NJ Nov 23, 1996 0 fatalities

While Chase holds the dubious honor of being the only high speed fatal incident in the USA, and 16 fatalities cannot be lightly dismissed, this compares quite favorably with Eschede, Germany June 1998 where there were over 100 fatalities.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Let's see Mr. Dinky

Chase, MD Jan 4, 1987 16 fatalities
Portal, NJ Nov 23, 1996 0 fatalities

While Chase holds the dubious honor of being the only high speed fatal incident in the USA, and 16 fatalities cannot be lightly dismissed. This compares quite favorably with Eschede, Germany June 1998 where there were over 100 fatalities.

Thank God for Teir I ehhhh? :D

Problems occur from time to time with any transportation whether by car,
train, plane, bus or otherwise.
I recall a rather nasty spill involving train 49 (The Lake Shore, westbound)
at CP-406, Batavia, New York a few years ago while I was still among the
working class. It may have been the result of a track problem but I
can't really recall but several cars went off and down a very slight drop.
They must have landed on the sides from the appearance of some of them. The amazing thing from this spill, a handfull of injuries, none of
them fatal.
Lets remember that even the newer cars are built nearly like "battleships"
and can withstand a lot. You might get banged around but your chances of survival on an Amtrak train are much better than probably any other
means of transportation.
I don't think 49 had the Amfleet II coaches at that time.
Noel Weaver

I liked this quote from the slate article:

Trains, on the other hand, are surprisingly lethal to pedestrians and drivers. Last year, trains—primarily of the freight variety—killed 357 people at highway-rail crossings and 540 trespassers (such as train hoppers, vagrants, or the inebriated).

It would be more interesting to see non-passenger rail-related fatalities that actually were the fault of the railroad or its personnel.

When someone ignores warning signals and drives in front of a train or walks along the tracks, the results are not "surprising" at all.

FatNoah wrote:It would be more interesting to see non-passenger rail-related fatalities that actually were the fault of the railroad or its personnel.

True, but answering that question is the entire point of a negligence lawsuit. For an issue like trespassing the determination is more cut and dried: Either you're on the property or you aren't.

More to the point:

It's hard to be struck by a train when you're a passenger.

Are we looking for the safest mode of transport, or the safest type of vehicle to be in striking distance of? "Near a train" is not a mode of transport.

So I guess I am more likely to get killed walking in front of a train :D

Typical of the media , and hence the average persons perception of treprassing on the r.o.w .

If somebody gets killed because they wandered onto a runway , people would say , what an idiot , he derserves it . if somebody wanders onto the train track and gets killed , its, oh the train must be at fault , or the railroad should have signposted it better etc . Same with car / train accidents , its always made to sound if somehow its the trains fault .