Train derails on highway bridge in Washington state

[mildertduck]

Looks like this might be very serious:

https://news.sky.com/story/train-derails-on-highway-bridge-in-washington-state-11176581

A train has derailed as it travelled over a bridge crossing a highway in Washington state.

The Amtrak 501 train was the first ever high-speed commuter service to use the new track from Seattle to Portland, launched at 6am on Monday.

With about 78 passengers and five crew, the train was on a bridge over the Interstate-5 highway in Pierce County, 40 miles south of Seattle, when it came off the tracks at 7.40am (3.40pm GMT)

A total of 77 people have been taken to hospital, with at least two in critical condition and 11 others seriously injured, a statement from local hospitals said.

An official briefed on the investigation said preliminary signs indicated the train may have struck something on the track before being derailed....

 

[90sWereBetter]

Looks like some of the carriages have fallen off a bridge. Hope everyone's OK.

Apparently the train involved was the inaugural running of a new high-speed service from Seattle.

 

[PaulHarding150]

Images here: https://twitter.com/ABC7News/status/942792013816135680

 

[jamesontheroad]

Service is Amtrak Cascades train #501, the very first public passenger run of the new inland route from Seattle (dep. 06:00AM) to Portland (schduled arrival 09:20AM).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Appears to be a Talgo tilting set.
Normal max speed on the route is the standard US 79mph, but it looks like this set was cleared for a higher speed, maybe 125mph.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Cascades

Service on the Cascades route is provided using seven articulated trainsets manufactured by Talgo, a Spanish company. These cars are designed to passively tilt into curves, allowing the train to pass through them at higher speeds than a conventional train. The tilting technology reduces travel time between Seattle and Portland by 25 minutes.[26] Current track and safety requirements limit the train's speed to 79 miles per hour (127 km/h), although the trainsets are designed for a maximum design speed of 124 miles per hour (200 km/h).

PS Reading the Twitter dialogue, it seems the route is one that has been upgraded to 79mph, not what we would call "high speed".
The local mayor was predicting accidents from trains "racing through town" and tried to prevent the new service from starting.
But this was accidents between trains and pedestrians and cars, not falling off an interstate bridge.
http://komonews.com/news/local/lake...eadly-accidents-from-high-speed-train-service

Amtrak Cascades web site, includes a picture of a train set and the timetable:
http://www.amtrakcascades.com/

 

[96tommy]

Apparently this was the very first run of the new Amtrak Cascades route

 

[YorkshireBear]

It looks to me from the limited pictures available to be at this bridge here. https://goo.gl/maps/wH32dnR5oAU2

Look to the West of golf course linked.

BBC Image shows a slip road coming in hence me thinking it this one. Looks to be on a sharp S bend too. Can't quite work it out. There are some other bridge to the West which which look to be the route that the Amtrak Trains take so I must confess I am confused!

 

[MarkyT]

Pictures and some Google Earth research suggest the Talgo set was being propelled by a loco at the rear. The curves immediately either side of the two bridges over the individual carriageways of Interstate 5 are very tight. In the assumed direction of the travel the first encountered is about 240m radius, while the next measures about 180m. For this to happen at all is tragic; but on the service's inaugural passenger run, it's frankly astounding.

 

[Darandio]

It looks to me from the limited pictures available to be at this bridge here. https://goo.gl/maps/wH32dnR5oAU2

Look to the West of golf course linked.

BBC Image shows a slip road coming in hence me thinking it this one. Looks to be on a sharp S bend too. Can't quite work it out. There are some other bridge to the West which which look to be the route that the Amtrak Trains take so I must confess I am confused!

Where your link pinpointed was pretty much correct. This is the bridge: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@47.0...4!1s3NdbsERlezWk-yDx7gsBgQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[YorkshireBear]

Where your link pinpointed was pretty much correct. This is the bridge: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@47.0...4!1s3NdbsERlezWk-yDx7gsBgQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Yep that is the bridge i was referring to.

I know this is all speculation. But yet again, are we looking at an overspeed on a bend in the US??? (rhetorical).

I am sure we will find out in the fullness of time.

They are playing down possibility of deaths and seem to suggest that no motorists have been killed which in itself could be a minor miracle.

 

[Darandio]

They are playing down possibility of deaths and seem to suggest that no motorists have been killed which in itself could be a minor miracle.

King5, a local news station are saying the opposite, that they believe there are fatalities. You can watch the news channel live here: https://livestream.com/accounts/16944724/events/7983442

The closest traffic cam is also still providing updated still images. http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/dupont/jblm.aspx?cam=9279

 

[YorkshireBear]

King5, a local news station are saying the opposite, that they believe there are fatalities. You can watch the news channel live here: https://livestream.com/accounts/16944724/events/7983442

The closest traffic cam is also still providing updated still images. http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/dupont/jblm.aspx?cam=9279

Fatalities on the train BBC say. Sorry wasn't clear was just specifically talking about motorists. I think it is a safe assumption that there has been deaths on the train looking at the state of it unfortunately.

 

[talltim]

The Genesis loco AMTK 181 visible still on the track (bed) was trailing. Charger WDTX 1402 was leading and is on the road
Edited to add loco numbers

 

[MarkyT]

The Genesis loco visible still on the track (bed) was trailing, there was a new Charger loco leading.

Thanks. I knew there are or were push-pull Talgo sets in use in Washington, so assumed the loco on the rear indicated a driving trailer at the other end. Is top and tail the new normal there?

 

[neonison]

From Seattle to Portland and the picture used by Sky and BBC is looking west?

 

[talltim]

I get the impression its to run in the new Charger locos. I think the plan was to use them with driving trailers when that period was finished

 

[Taunton]

Local news pictures, including from trackside, showing further cars derailed on the outside of the curve

http://komonews.com/news/local/derailed-train-falls-off-bridge-onto-i-5-lanes-south-of-tacoma

 

[MarkyT]

Local news pictures, including from trackside, showing further cars derailed on the outside of the curve

That could indicate most of the rest of the train from the front including the leading charger loco left the rails on the curve. The coach flipped upside down on the road under the bridge looks in a bad way.

 

[BRX]

Conservative US politicians are no doubt going to jump on this to try and quash further HS rail projects.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There is a junction about half a mile south of the crash site, where the inland line rejoins the coastal main line at Nisqually.
My (old) Altamont route "timetable" shows the inland line, before upgrade, as a 25mph freight line.
The main line at Nisqually which previously carried Amtrak traffic is a 55mph route, up to 75mph further south.
Both routes seem to be managed by BNSF, but UP also operates over them.

 

[Darandio]

Details still a bit sketchy but the news stream posted above has just shown the speed limit sign prior to the curve as T-30, which according to an engineer being interviewed is 30mph for the Talgo stock. They then report that just prior to the accident, the Amtrak website was showing the train as travelling at 81mph.

 

[Darandio]

They are now starting to allow aerial footage, shows a much bigger scale of the incident than the previous images.

 

[bigfoote]

AP wire reporting unnamed official stating under anonymity "track obstruction" possible cause.

 

[Adlington]

BBC reports "multiple" fatalities on the train but no motorists had been killed. Amtrak said approximately 78 passengers and five crew members had been on board the train.

 

[ac6000cw]

AP wire reporting unnamed official stating under anonymity "track obstruction" possible cause.

I was wondering about that too - looking at this overhead photo - http://komonews.com/news/local/gall...ridge-onto-i-5-lanes-south-of-tacoma#photo-26 it almost looks like the derailment started before (or very early) on the curve - the lead loco (on the left) has probably travelled almost in a straight line from the point of derailment.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Rather unfortunately, one of the prominent items on the Amtrak Cascades website is a video on 'How to beat the I-5 Traffic.'

I'm not sure this was what they had in mind.

 

[MarkyT]

I was wondering about that too - looking at this overhead photo - http://komonews.com/news/local/gall...ridge-onto-i-5-lanes-south-of-tacoma#photo-26 it almost looks like the derailment started before (or very early) on the curve - the lead loco (on the left) has probably travelled almost in a straight line from the point of derailment.

I think that is a bit of an illusion as the curve continues to bring the line parallel with the road. That's not to discount the obstruction theory of course.

 

[MarkyT]

Conservative US politicians are no doubt going to jump on this to try and quash further HS rail projects.

Possible I suppose, but Trump has tweeted, controversially as usual, that it is a demonstration why more money needs to be spent on US infrastructure, INCLUDING railways. The irony is that the line has apparently had money spent on it recently in preparation for passenger service, but if speed is found to have been a contributor then clearly an effective positive train control system to limit speed was not provided or operative on the particular section.

 

[BRX]

Possible I suppose, but Trump has tweeted, controversially as usual, that it is a demonstration why more money needs to be spent on US infrastructure, INCLUDING railways. The irony is that the line has apparently had money spent on it recently in preparation for passenger service, but if speed is found to have been a contributor then clearly an effective positive train control system to limit speed was not provided or operative on the particular section.

Did he not propose to cut the budget for long-haul Amtrak a little while ago, though?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Without trying to prejudge any inquiry, there will be much industry interest in the behaviour and survivability of the Talgo articulated stock in this derailment.
The train involved in the Santiago de Compostela derailment in 2013 (Renfe class 730) was also a similar Talgo design.
This in the context of Talgo bidding for an HS2 train contract.