Train carriage falls on motorway in washington state

[Pickman's model]

Train carriage falls on US motorway

Reports of injured await reports of deaths

 

[gosub]

grim

 

[editor]

This is rather concerning:

Local news stations report that this was the inaugural run of the new high-speed rail line.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Sounds bad - especially if was still travelling at 80mph as the article says it was earlier in the journey.

 

[editor]

 

[cupid_stunt]

Fingers crossed that injuries are minor, and there's no deaths.

Local news stations report that this was the inaugural run of the new high-speed rail line.

What a fuck-up.

 

[Mumbles274]

Hopefully a test run, driver unhurt in front carriage of empty train and no road users involved

 

[editor]

Hopefully a test run, driver unhurt in front carriage of empty train and no road users involved

No, there was passengers aboard.

 

[lizzieloo]

NBC reporters are tweeting "multiple deaths"

 

[lizzieloo]

 

[elbows]

It looks terrible. One of the carriages that fell looks to be completely upside-down.

 

[lizzieloo]

It looks terrible. One of the carriages that fell looks to be completely upside-down.

I've only just noticed the carriage under the bridge

 

[teuchter]

The safety record of USA railways is pretty poor; much worse than ours. Still not as bad as roads of course. About 100 people killed every single day on the US's roads.

 

[editor]

The carriages bear the unfortunate name, "CASCADES."

 

[editor]

And just two weeks ago...

LAKEWOOD, Wash. - City leaders gave a chilly reception to a new high-speed rail plan for Amtrak trains that starts running later this month.

The idea is to use the Sound Transit tracks that cut through the city and open them up to Amtrak trains. However, huge safety concerns remain.

Right now, passenger trains, including Amtrak Cascades, must slow down due to curves and single-track tunnels on the BNSF Railway main line tracks near Point Defiance and along southern Puget Sound. This project reroutes passenger trains to a bypass rail line along I-5. The proposed route is the same that Sound Transit uses for Sounder commuter rail service to Lakewood.

Recent track upgrades will allow Amtrak to send its locomotives through at 79 miles an hour. City officials in Lakewood have long been worried about the dangers residents could face as these trains race through the city.

“We want to make sure as many people as possible understand what's going on, understand we are starting a new service on December 18th and ensure that they know how to stay safe around the railroad tracks,” said Janet Matkin with WSDOT.

Lakewood mayor predicts deadly accidents from high-speed train service

 

[elbows]

The carriages bear the unfortunate name, "CASCADES."

Yes I was rather hoping there would be no deaths or serious injuries so we could have some fun with that, instead the grim reaper facepalm beckons.

 

[teuchter]

This seems to have been the first public run of a new service -

Amtrak Cascades Train Vancouver, BC, Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Salem, Eugene | Amtrak

 

[lizzieloo]

Their front page headline on twitter is pretty unfortunate too

 

[elbows]

And just two weeks ago...



Lakewood mayor predicts deadly accidents from high-speed train service

And today was the first day of operation.

edit - I am late to this fact on this thread, apologies.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Is this the same Tacoma that had the suspension bridge that failed?

 

[Pickman's model]

This seems to have been the first public run of a new service -

Amtrak Cascades Train Vancouver, BC, Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Salem, Eugene | Amtrak

Yeh as per editor's post #3

 

[Yossarian]

This was the maiden voyage of the Amtrak Cascades, a high-speed rail line between Tacoma and Olympia. Passengers were reportedly given commemorative lanyards for the trip.

Think this is going to end up as a years-long setback for high-speed rail in the US, which a lot of conservative politicians already seem to view as something close to Communism.

 

[teuchter]

Think is going to end up as years-long setback for high-speed rail in the US, which a lot of conservative politicians already seem to view as something close to Communism.

Yup.

I wonder if the fact that it's a European designed/built train is going to come into play too.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

New York to Washington is a good link. Rest of the country doesn't seem to like rail much though.

eta and Amtrak's website is really easy to use, which is a bonus.

 

[Mumbles274]

No, there was passengers aboard.

Oh fuck. Sad news

 

[petee]

Is this the same Tacoma that had the suspension bridge that failed?

yes.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) - Wikipedia

 

[CRI]

Milk of human kindness . . .

 

[editor]

Milk of human kindness . . .

View attachment 123319

What an utter cunt.

 

[mx wcfc]

Hopefully a test run, driver unhurt in front carriage of empty train and no road users involved

Note to self - check rest of thread before liking.

 

[agricola]

Milk of human kindness . . .

View attachment 123319

Ironically the need to replace / upgrade infrastructure, which is years beyond the point when it was urgently needed in many cases, is one of the few things Trump is right to demand.