# Major Amtrak derailment south of Tacoma **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775 "2017-12-18T17:12:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/1 "2017-12-18T17:12:39Z")
[It derailed off an overpass onto the freeway,](http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2017/12/amtrak_train_derails_in_washin.html#incart_river_home) There are reports of deaths and injuries, and the freeway is shut down completely. I called My Beloved just now and told her that there may be a problem with her train trip to Seattle tomorrow morning-she’s going to make some calls. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/2 "2017-12-18T17:21:28Z")
Unfortunately, the morning news ended in favour of _The 700 Club_ (which I won’t watch). No deaths had been reported or confirmed as of 0900. WADOT shut down the camera at the scene. The last I heard was that the derailment ‘is being treated as a mass-casualty event’. I said to Mrs. L.A., ‘Dupont. That’s south, right?’ She said, ‘_Everything_ is south of here!’ :smack: (I meant south of Seattle. Dupont is about halfway between Tacoma and Olympia.) ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/3 "2017-12-18T17:27:47Z")
:eek: Something must’ve been wrong with the tracks. It’s the first train of a new service, but surely they tested the tracks!!?? Wow. ☹ I don’t usually say glad we’re headed the other direction today. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/4 "2017-12-18T17:32:57Z")
Btw, the website I linked to updates every few minutes, and every new picture seems to be worse than the last. Can anyone identify the vehicle that the train car landed on in the lastest pic? ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/5 "2017-12-18T17:34:27Z")
Actually, according to the most recent news; there have been at least three fatalities; and multiple injuries. Many of these folks are being transported to where I work. It’s being treated as a mass casualty (both by state and county). My son just moved out a couple of weeks ago. He would have been right where that train derailed on his commute had he not moved. Good thoughts to any injured and sincere condolences to those families who have lost a brother, sister, mother, father in this horrendous accident. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/6 "2017-12-18T17:36:18Z")
From what I can tell, the train was the Cascades, not the Coast Starlight, but other than that, not much has been released. As far as whether trains run tomorrow, it will depend on whether they’ve got work around track there or not. If they can get around it, then yes. If they cannot, then no. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/7 "2017-12-18T17:37:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Can anyone identify the vehicle that the train car landed on in the lastest pic? They were saying a couple of hours ago that ‘the train hit a truck’. The first time they reported that, one newsperson said he didn’t see a crossing, and another suggested that the report meant that the train car fell on a truck. I found a news station (Fox Q13), and they are now reporting three fatalities. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/8 "2017-12-18T17:39:48Z")
I-5 is closed until midnight, as of right now. **Sunny** , it looks like this is a new high(er)-speed run that goes along I-5, so I’d guess the slower-but-prettier run that goes along the water is unaffected. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/9 "2017-12-18T17:40:53Z")
It’s a bit early to speculate on the cause, whether it was the train itself, operator error, or something failed on the tracks. Even sabotage/terrorism is a possibility. It wouldn’t take much of an effort for someone to slip on the tracks and jack them apart just enough to derail. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/10 "2017-12-18T17:41:25Z")
Actually, this was the first day of the rerouted Amtrak run. It used to run along Puget Sound, but they opted to go to this route to shave 10 minutes. Yes, ten measly minutes. Many thought this was a bad idea due to the proximity of population centers, roads, and high speeds (79 MPH) of the trains. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/11 "2017-12-18T17:44:38Z")
My vote is on “bad idea to reroute, based on available evidence”. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/12 "2017-12-18T17:47:01Z")
I’m a member at a major railfan site ([trainorders.com](http://www.trainorders.com)), where one of the people working on the reroute project regularly posts. a few weeks ago he showed a photo of the site where the accident eventually happened. There is a very sharp curve that is rated for 30 MPH where the derailment happened. According to reports, the train was going about 80. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/13 "2017-12-18T17:47:41Z")
Oh, wow, how stupid. I thought I read it was in addition to the other route. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/14 "2017-12-18T17:48:13Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > I-5 is closed until midnight, as of right now. > > **Sunny** , it looks like this is a new high(er)-speed run that goes along I-5, so I’d guess the slower-but-prettier run that goes along the water is unaffected. **Helena** , the slower, but prettier route was rerouted to run along I-5. Today was the first day. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/15 "2017-12-18T17:50:04Z")
> [@Taters](#): > > Actually, this was the first day of the rerouted Amtrak run. It used to run along Puget Sound, but they opted to go to this route to shave 10 minutes. Yes, ten measly minutes. > > Many thought this was a bad idea due to the proximity of population centers, roads, and high speeds (79 MPH) of the trains. They opted to this reroute to get the trains off the BNSF mainline, which was becoming a rather major bottleneck. And why would you NOT want passenger service to go through population centers? That’s the whole POINT of passenger trains - go where the PEOPLE are. The main BNSF freight traffic was staying on the old route. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/16 "2017-12-18T17:53:58Z")
Q13 is snowing footage now that shows a train car on top of a semi. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/17 "2017-12-18T17:54:44Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > My vote is on “bad idea to reroute, based on available evidence”. The problem I have with that is that if it was a fairly active freight route, the tracks should be in good shape and as long as the engineer obeys any speed limitations it should work fine. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/18 "2017-12-18T17:59:54Z")
‘No fatalities related to cars impacted on the road, although there were some cars impacted on the road and there were some injuries related to that.’ ‘77 passengers are being transported [to hospital].’ ‘Four patients considered “Level Red”.’ ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/19 "2017-12-18T18:02:03Z")
> [@lawoot](#): > > I’m a member at a major railfan site ([trainorders.com](http://www.trainorders.com)), where one of the people working on the reroute project regularly posts. a few weeks ago he showed a photo of the site where the accident eventually happened. There is a very sharp curve that is rated for 30 MPH where the derailment happened. According to reports, the train was going about 80. That sounds like a likely cause. Speed on a curve was the cause of the 2015 fatal Philadelphia derailment. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775/20 "2017-12-18T18:02:44Z")
Based on the video, I think opening I-5 at midnight is _wildly_ optimistic. We’re heading to Seattle. By car. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/804775.md?page=2)