Deadly Amtrak Crash Information
Newly released information about the fatal Amtrak train crash on May 12, 2015 does not offer much insight into what happened that day. Reports however have stated that the conductor was not on his cell phone at the time and he is still unsure of what exactly happened right before the crash. Numerous reports have stated how the train’s conductor was (and still is) unable to recount the immediate moments before the crash.
“The transcript was among more than 160 documents released Monday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The documents don’t come to any conclusions on the cause of the crash but offer a glimpse into what investigators have learned thus far. Among the most illuminating are two transcripts of interviews Bostian had with investigators, one immediately after the May 12 crash that killed eight people and injured nearly 200 others, and the second in November.”
There are still plenty of questions that have not been answered, such as the ones about the train being hit by something. Since the accident, the MTA has put into place new safety measures. “Amtrak installed an automatic speed control at the Philadelphia curve within days of the derailment, as it had in Boston in 1990 after a train entered a 30 mph curve near Back Bay Station at 76 mph and derailed into a commuter train. The railroad has since enabled speed technology for all but a small portion of the 450-mile Northeast Corridor. The lack of clarity on what caused the Philadelphia train to speed has frustrated crash victims, some of whom have racked up more than $1 million in hospital bills and are continuing to rehabilitate from injuries.”
Together the charges against Amtrak total to over $290 million which is up from the initial $200 million original amount.
“With the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigative phase into the May 12, 2015 crash now complete, investigators will analyze the evidence, prepare a report on the probable cause of the derailment and make safety recommendations. A draft report is expected to be delivered to board members in a meeting not yet scheduled, but that will likely happen around the May 12 anniversary of the crash.”
Sources:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ntsb-releases-documents-amtrak-crash-investigation-article-1.2516080
http://nypost.com/2016/02/01/amtrak-engineer-recalls-opening-throttle-before-fatal-crash/
