Yesterday's Amtrak wreck was caused by very excessive speed...

[orange]

The train was doing 106 mph and slowing to 102 while going around a curve with a speed limit of 50. While devices have been installed in much of Amtrak's network to automatically limit the engine's speed, these had not been installed in this section.

The Northeast Corridor, as it's known is a largely efficient travel mode via train and apparently makes up for most of the deficits on other parts of the railroad. It will be at least a week before passenger service will resume. The electric locomotive for this route was fairly new as well.

The current death toll is 7. The engineer was not among the fatalities and will be questioned about the incident. This also comes as Amtrak's budget is under scrutiny and infrastructure is needing repair along the line.

 

[Northwinds]

I see the Acela trains a lot, they have speed sensors and the engine and car bodies actually can tilt into corners permitting faster speeds. This consist could not

 

[orange]

Over 100 miles an hour on a 50 mph rated curve is Casey Jones stuff regardless, and there is a lot of repair work needed along the way. Congress is cutting funding to about 1 billion dollars, down 262 million and over 20% in cuts at this time doesn't help.

 

[Lazarus Short]

Drivin' that budget, threatened by cuts
Amtrak, you'd better watch that train...
Questions ahead, wreckage behind,
Don't you know them foul deeds are cross'n my mind?

[No accusations of synchronous illegal activities are implied or suggested by the above.]

 

[orange]

Now they say there are reports that the windshield was hit by something in that area, that it's possible other trains have been affected (serial offense?) but how was the train up to 106 even so?

 

[Gepetto]

which is why you get all the facts before rushing to judgment...

 

[orange]

OTOH an electric passenger train isn't bound to accelerate like a funny car in that kind of distance.