The cause of last month's deadly Amtrak crash south of Tacoma above Interstate 5 is attributed to the train traveling at 78 mph through a curve with a speed limit of 30 mph. The original plan for the bypass called for the elimination of that curve.
Much attention has been placed on the lack of an operational positive train control system which could potentially have prevented Amtrak Cascades #501 on its maiden voyage on Dec. 18 from speeding through a curve leading to a bridge over Interstate 5 where it derailed, with two cars falling onto the freeway below, killing three passengers and injuring over 100. Now attention is being placed on the curve itself.
On Dec. 22, Ted Mann of The Wall Street Journal reported that had the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) proceeded with their original plan for the bypass route, that curve would never have existed. Amanda Woods of the New York Post reports on Mann's piece (which is accessible only to WSJ subscribers).
"An $11 billion Washington State government plan to speed up passenger and freight rail service throughout the Pacific Northwest called for an elimination of the turn," reports Woods.
But that request was not included in the final design, once the state won federal funding for the [$180.7 million] Point Defiance railroad bypass south of Tacoma, Wash., The Wall Street Journal reported on [Dec. 22].
The plan was ditched because the turn in question was deemed too costly to remove, the outlet reported, citing documents and state officials.
The section where the train derailed “includes unsuitable sharp curvature,” according to schematic documents obtained by the paper.
Woods adds that while WSDOT has plans to improve the bypass route to increase speed, they do not include elimination of the deadly curve "because it wasn’t deemed necessary to support the number of round trips the state and Amtrak had planned for the corridor," a WSDOT spokeswoman told the the Journal.
According to WSDOT, trains will not use the bypass route or the new Tacoma station for the foreseeable future due to the Dec. 18 derailment.
Also on Dec. 22, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a press release based on "Initial Review of Amtrak Train Recorders."
About six seconds prior to the derailment, the engineer made a comment regarding an over speed condition.
Some experts have suggested the engineer was distracted, possible due to the presence of someone else in the cab. The term they use is "loss of situational awareness."
FULL STORY: Train track was never supposed to have deadly curve
Focus on Positive Train Control after Amtrak Train 501 Derails in Washington
Excessive speed is thought to be the cause of the deadly derailment on Dec. 18. Positive train control, which likely would have slowed down the train, was installed on the tracks and locomotive but was not yet operational.
Amtrak Suffers Third Fatal Crash in Less than Two Months
The crash in Cayce, South Carolina on Sunday killed the engineer and conductor riding in the Amtrak locomotive, injuring over 100 passengers and crew members. A locked switch had directed Amtrak #91 into a siding where it hit a parked CSX train.
*New Amtrak Train Derails On Highway Overpass Outside of Seattle, Killing 3
The first southbound train on of the newly routed Amtrak Cascades Seattle-to-Portland service derailed on a highway overpass on Monday morning, with two passenger cars falling onto southbound Interstate 5, striking motor vehicles.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)