Acela Derailment

[Mikeygaw]

Just in on the 11 pm news... an Acela train has derailed near New Haven, CT... 60 passengers and 12 crew were on board, injuries are unknown at this time

[Anonymous]

Man, this is not good. Hopefully nobody was injured.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041029/ap_on_re_us/train_derailment_1

[Kozzie]

Mike - thanks for alerting us. We can only hope the injuries aren't serious, but we'll soon find out.

Do you know roughly, (or anyone else that's closer), what sort of speeds the Acela would have been doing on that part of the line?

Dave

[jeaton]

Reports indicate it was about a mile south of the New Haven station. My guess, not a very high speed limit at that point. One report says that an Amtrak spokesman reports no known injuries.

At this point it does not seem as if this is a very bad event. A big wreck would have had more urgent and up to the moment coverage. At least I hope I am right.

Jay

[joesap1]

This is just the sort of thing that really bothered me. The Amtrak tries to zoom along and it periodically rocks violently as it crosses certain sections of track. Could this have caused today's accident? Has it caused Amtrak derailments in the past?
Some of you may be right when you have written that Amtrak should go away. The intent of this thinking, I suppose, is that the railroads will return to passenger service and do a better job.
How about the recent article in the November issue that NS is considering passenger service. Well, for now, we must pray that all the passengers and crew of the Acela are safe.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, seriously doubt it could have been going very fast at all only a mile away from the station. Let's just hope no one was hurt and people don't stop riding Acela over this.

[jabrown1971]

check out www.nbc30.com, it has a story to make all smile

[daveklepper]

This is Metro North maintained, Connecticut DOT owned track.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jabrown1971

check out www.nbc30.com, it has a story to make all smile

That link dosnt work for me, does it work for anyone else?

[Junctionfan]

Yikes......thank goodness it wasn't going it's fast speed.

[Anonymous]

Updated news...

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/sns-ap-train-derailment,0,5986167.story?coll=ny-top-headlines

[FThunder11]

I love the Acela Express...It can't derail and give itself a bad reputation. I hope that only us people on the forum hear about it and not hte public, that way they dont stop riding.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FThunder11

I love the Acela Express...It can't derail and give itself a bad reputation. I hope that only us people on the forum hear about it and not hte public, that way they dont stop riding.

Too late. Its in the papers!

[halifaxcn]

This AM on the way to work Boston Radio Station WBZ reported that the accident happened during a back up move in the station. They stated no injuries. The report went on to say that it was effecting service bewteen New Haven and Milford CT.

This was in the 0600 hrs news report.

Happy Halloween All!

[starwardude]

I just saw News 12 CT.The pictures they had weren't bad. Last coach loked a little off the track.

[starwardude]

Oh. I forgot to add, Two people minorly injured,one left Yale-New Haven hospital shortly after arriving.

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joesap1
Some of you may be right when you have written that Amtrak should go away. The intent of this thinking, I suppose, is that the railroads will return to passenger service and do a better job.

Actually I thought these folks wanted Amtrak to go away and that would be the end of it. I don't see any way that freight railroads will return to passenger service (barring some kind of unfunded mandate from Congress - highly unlikely).

As for other passengers not riding a train after seeing a news report of a derailment . . . there are a few who will change their minds, but most people weigh the odds and go on with their plans regardless.

[Mookie]

Ok - pointy head here - our Amtrak runs on wind and water out here. Sounds like this particular one is electrified, is this correct?

Moo

[dehusman]

Correct, it runs on the NE corridor, the ex-Pennsy, New Haven electrified territory. Sounds like the train was heading out of the station, the engineer saw the overhead wires were damaged. Stopped and then was backing up (probably less than 10 mph). Normally this is caused by not having a switch lined properly or running through a switch. In any case the engineer should be commended on noticing the damaged overhead.

Dave H.

[AntonioFP45]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joesap1

This is just the sort of thing that really bothered me. The Amtrak tries to zoom along and it periodically rocks violently as it crosses certain sections of track. Could this have caused today's accident? Has it caused Amtrak derailments in the past?
Some of you may be right when you have written that Amtrak should go away. The intent of this thinking, I suppose, is that the railroads will return to passenger service and do a better job.
How about the recent article in the November issue that NS is considering passenger service. Well, for now, we must pray that all the passengers and crew of the Acela are safe.

Joe, don't forget that railroads worked "Diligently" in the 1960s to GET RID OF passenger service with the exception of a few. Southern Pacific was infamous for deliberatly discouraging people in the late 60s to ride their trains! There was a written article on this a few years back.

Even when running full, North American passenger trains always lose money.....it's a proven fact. What has to change is the attitude that passenger service is a needed infrastructure just like our highways.

As for NS, they're for "supporting" commuter agencies running trains on NS tracks, but this is as long as NS doesn't have to do any "subsidizing" of the service. The government has money available that would allow a freight railroad to refurbish its tracks that a named commuter agency will run passenger trains on. This is millions of dollars so only a railroad executive that's an idiot would turn that down!

So again, freight railroads DO NOT want to own and maintain passenger trains. Too much maintenance and liability.

If you want Amtrak to go away, just remember that if this happens more than likely that, except for metropoliton regions, service will not be restored again.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Ok - pointy head here - our Amtrak runs on wind and water out here. Sounds like this particular one is electrified, is this correct?

Moo

Mookie Yes. The NEC is electrified from Boston to DC. Also from Philadelphia to Harrisburgh, PA. (Most of the time Amtrak does not use electrics to Harrisburgh).

[TH&B]

Sigh, 10mph backwards must put a big dent in the average speed of a high speed train !
The wires just south of New Haven are they of the modern type or the relic type? If it's the relic NW style of 1910 this is underatabable, but it's not so good if it is newly hung modern wires that are falling out of alignment.

[Anonymous]

I believe AMTRAK and Metro North (State of Connecticut) were replacing all the old stle "triangular" catenary wiring in prep for ACELA; it may or may not have included the support bridges and gantries. This between NYC and New Haven, which is where I hear the accident occurred.

The wiring between New Haven and Boston is all "new", especially set up for the ACELA service, I believe.

Which leads to the question- are local commuter trains along the old Shoreline route powered by electrics or are there still diesels on the line?

Erik

[joesap1]

Thanks Antonio for the information.
I don't want Amtrak to go away. I like riding the train, and you're right, if it goes, nothing would replace it.