6:30 PM EST UPDATE: DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — An Amtrak train that derailed south of Seattle, killing six people, was going more than 80 mph (129 kph) about one-quarter mile (0.4 kilometers) before it entered a curve where the speed limit was much lower.
A track chart prepared by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows the maximum speed drops from 79 mph (127 kph) to 30 mph (48 kph) for passenger trains just before the tracks curve to cross Interstate 5.
Train 501 left the tracks Monday on the I-5 overpass. More than 50 people were hospitalized.
The chart, dated February 7, 2017, was submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration in anticipation of the start of passenger service along a new bypass route that shaves 10 minutes off the trip between Seattle and Portland.
A website that maps location and speed using data from Amtrak’s train tracker app shows the train was going 81.1 mph (129 kph) just before it derailed on the overpass.
It wasn’t clear how fast the train was moving when it derailed.
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5:30 PM EST UPDATE: DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say 77 passengers and seven crew members were on board an Amtrak train that derailed near DuPont, Washington.
Amtrak spokeswoman Gay Banks Olson gave the updated numbers at a news conference Monday afternoon.
The announcement lowered the number of passengers previously reported and raised the number of crew members.
The train hurtled off an overpass and crashed into vehicles below Interstate 5 Monday morning, leaving multiple people dead and others wounded.
Banks Olson says the train was not filled to capacity when it derailed.
She says Amtrak is “very grateful there weren’t more people involved.”
Amtrak says the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
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3:05 PM EST UPDATE: DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — Hospital officials say at least two people are in critical condition and 11 others are seriously injured after a deadly train derailment outside Seattle.
Four hospitals say 50 people have been hospitalized but didn’t immediately report all of their conditions. At least one person was in surgery Monday.
The Amtrak train running between Tacoma and Portland, Oregon, derailed south of Seattle as it was making its first run as part of a faster service that local authorities had warned could be dangerous.
The National Transportation Safety Board says it’s sending a team, with the first members arriving Monday afternoon.
Board member Bella Dinn-Zarr told reporters in Washington, D.C., that it’s too early to tell whether speed contributed to the accident.
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2:55 PM EST UPDATE: DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — The section of track where an Amtrak train derailed had just been upgraded as part of a $181 million project for a new faster route.
Sound Transit, the public transit system for the Seattle area, owns the track and oversaw construction of the upgrades.
Agency spokeswoman Kimberly Reason says extensive testing was done before the opening of the system Monday but didn’t immediately have further details.
Reason says the project rerouted Amtrak trains that had been taking a slower route along a BNSF Railway line.
Authorities say at least six people died when the train went off the track and sent some cars onto a highway below.
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Our deepest sympathies and most heartfelt prayers are with the victims of the train derailment in Washington State. We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities… pic.twitter.com/Gyf5BdVm4G
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
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2:25 PM EST UPDATE: DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — A man who was driving on a highway alongside a train that derailed in Washington state says he and his friend rushed to help the victims.
Daniel Konzelman says they saw train cars with the roofs ripped off or tipped upside down Monday and a few vehicles on the roadway that were damaged.
He says they climbed into train cars and found injured passengers, some who were pinned underneath the train and others who appeared to be dead.
Konzelman says that if victims could move and seemed stable, he helped them climb out of the train. If they appeared seriously hurt, he tried to offer comfort by talking to them to calm them down.
The 24-year-old says he’s an Eagle Scout with first-aid and emergency response training
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2:05 PM EST UPDATE: WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump is offering “thoughts and prayers” for those involved in the train derailment in Washington state.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the train accident in DuPont, Washington. Thank you to all of our wonderful First Responders who are on the scene. We are currently monitoring here at the White House.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
Trump thanked the first responders at the scene and says the White House is monitoring the situation. Those thoughts came in his second tweet Monday about the derailment that officials say have killed at least six people.
His first tweet focused on the need for quick approval of a plan for more spending on infrastructure.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
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1:40 PM EST UPDATE: DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — A U.S. official says a train derailment outside of Seattle has killed at least six people and the death count is expected to rise.
The official who was briefed on the investigation also says preliminary signs indicate the Amtrak train may have struck something on the track before going off the track.
The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The high-speed train was making its first run on newly constructed tracks when it derailed before 8 a.m. Monday.
The official said because the tracks were new it was unlikely to be a maintenance issue.
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1:25 PM EST UPDATE: DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — An Amtrak train that derailed south of Seattle and killed multiple people was making its first run as part of a higher speed service that local authorities had warned could be dangerous.
Transitdocs.com, a website that maps Amtrak train locations and speeds using data from the railroad’s train tracker app, says Train 501 was going 81.1 mph moments before the derailment Monday.
The state Department of Transportation posted information about the $180.7 million project online that says the maximum speed along that stretch of track is 79 mph.
The new route was designed to speed up service by removing passenger trains from a route along Puget Sound that’s bogged down by curves, single-track tunnels and freight traffic.
The mayor of Lakewood, Washington, a city along the route, predicted a deadly crash. But Don Anderson thought it’d involve a fast-moving train hitting a car or pedestrian at a crossing.
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1:15 PM EST UPDATE: TACOMA, Washington (AP) – Derailed Amtrak train was making inaugural run for higher speed service, local officials had warned of dangers.
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12:40 PM EST UPDATE: TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say multiple people were killed when an Amtrak passenger train derailed onto Interstate 5 south of Seattle.
Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer says none of the fatalities were motorists who were in cars and trucks when the train came off the tracks on to I-5.
He says emergency responders are working to get survivors out and to area hospitals.
Authorities say the train derailed before 8 a.m. Monday, but no specifics were immediately available.
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12:38 PM EST UPDATE: Amtrak has released a statement regarding the derailment. See the full statement below:
Amtrak Cascades services impaced
9:30 a.m. PT
Amtrak Cascades Train 501, operating from Seattle and Portland, derailed south of Tacoma, Wash. There were approximately 78 passengers and five crew members on board. Initial reports are that some injuries are reported to passengers and crew, and taken to local medical facilities for treatment.
Individuals with questions about their friends and family on this train should call (800) 523-9101. Local emergency responders are on the scene.
Service from Seattle to points north and east is continuing to operate. Amtrak Cascades Trains 504 and 509 are cancelled. No alternate transportation will be available.
Additional updates will be provided when available.
Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant.
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12:25 PM EST UPDATE: TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say several vehicles on Interstate 5 were struck by the falling train cars when an Amtrak train derailed south of Seattle, and “multiple motorists” were injured on the roadway.
No fatalities of motorists were reported.
All southbound lanes of I-5 were closed south of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and motorists were being warned to avoid the area.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s office says “injuries and casualties” were reported when the train derailed before 8 a.m. Monday, but no specifics were immediately available.
TACOMA, Wash. (CNN) — An Amtrak passenger train derailed and at least one car is dangling on to Interstate 5 in Pierce County, Washington, according to the Washington state Department of Transportation’s Twitter account.All southbound lanes of the interstate are closed due to the derailment.
We are aware of an incident involving Amtrak train 501. We will update with additional details as they become available.
— Amtrak (@Amtrak) December 18, 2017
“We are aware of an incident involving Amtrak train 501,” Amtrak said in a tweet. “We will update with additional details as they become available.
The National Transportation Safety Board tweeted that the Amtrak train that derailed is a passenger train.
“NTSB is gathering information about an accident involving an Amtrak passenger train near Seattle, Washington. Additional information to follow when available.”
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee tweeted, “Thank you to the first responders on the scene. We’re praying for everyone on board the train, and ask everyone to hold them in your thoughts.”
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