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No one has been identified yet as the conductor of the Amtrak Cascades Train 501 that derailed in Washington that left multiple people injured and at least six people dead. The train, operating from Seattle and Portland, derailed south of Tacoma, Washington. 77 patients were taken to hospitals in Pierce and Thurston counties with injuries. There were approximately 78 passengers and five crew members on board the train.
The new train service, the Cascades Point Defiance Bypass route, just began today. Reportedly, Lakewood city council members were concerned about the speed of the train. It is unclear at this time how fast the train was moving at the time of the accident. The train, which runs between Tacoma and Olympia, was traveling south out of Tacoma before derailing onto Interstate 5. The train was traveling at about 80 MPH at the time it derailed, with traffic below traveling at around 70 MPH.
Early reports indicate that track obstruction is seen as the possible cause of the crash. An official says “preliminary signs indicate that the Amtrak train may have struck something on the track before going off the track
Amtrak is instructing individuals with questions about their friends and family on train 501 should call 800-523-9101.
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/942856230027980800
Audio of the conductor’s radio transmission call was released by CNN:
“We were coming round the corner to take the bridge over I-5 there uh, right north of Nisqually and we went on the ground.”
President Trump politicised the fatal accident, saying on Twitter:
“The train accident that just occurred in DuPont, WA shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly. Seven trillion dollars spent in the Middle East while our roads, bridges, tunnels, railways (and more) crumble! Not for long!”
Who was the Amtrak 501 Train Conductor
The conductor of the Amtrak Cascades Train 501 that derailed in Washington that left multiple people injured and at least six people dead has yet to be identified.
About Amtrak
Amtrak is a passenger railroad service that provides medium- and long-distance intercity service in the contiguous United States.
Founded in 1971 to take over most of the remaining U.S. passenger rail services, it is partially government funded yet operated and managed as a for-profit corporation.
Amtrak serves more than 500 destinations in 46 states and three Canadian provinces, operating more than 300 trains each day over 21,300 miles. Some of Amtrak’s trains move up to speeds of 150 MPH.
In 2016, Amtrak served 31.3 million passengers and had $2.192 billion in revenue, while employing more than 20,000 peopl
