WASHINGTON (AP) — An analysis by The Associated Press of surveillance video just before the deadly crash of an Amtrak train indicates it was traveling about 107 miles per hour as it approached a curve where the speed limit was only 50 miles per hour.
The video shows the train — which was roughly 662 feet long — passes the camera in just over five seconds.
But AP found that the surveillance video inexplicably plays back slightly slower than in real time.
So, adjusting for the slower playback puts the train’s estimated speed at 107 miles per hour. The surveillance camera was located at a site just before the bend in the tracks.
Light from an apparent explosion is visible in the video just over three seconds after the train passes.
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Correction: The original lead photo on this story was of a different train derailment. We regret the error.
Why isnt this shit automated? Oh, the GOTP refuses to pay for upgrades?
wait for them to heap blame on the conductor
Whoa nelly. And those trains were built in the 70’s I heard on the news this morning. If this proves to be an avoidable tragedy, expects heads to roll.
We really need to get our infrastructure up to par with the rest of the world however. Its an embarrassment of riches to have so much money in the country hoarded by the .01% that pay next to nothing in taxes, and a Republican Congress that refuses to spend a dime on any improvements for the last 6 years. Republicans are determined to kill off Amtrak and the Postal Service and put both their services in the hands of greedy privateers.
Check the engineers Twitter account.
I’ll bet it says something like: “Hey, man, I just had dinner and it was…OH SHIT!..”
I was a certified rail road conductor for 17 years. The conductor is in charge of the train. It is his job to make sure that other crew members - including the engineer- follow the rules.
I don’t know what sort of mechanical train control devices were employed here but I do know that there would have been a speed limit on this curve that both the engineer and conductor were responsible for following.