Amtrak train hits backhoe, killing two, injuring 30
An Amtrak train struck a piece of equipment operating on a line just south of Philadelphia on Sunday, causing a derailment, killing two Amtrak workers and sending more than 30 passengers to hospitals.
Train 89 was heading from New York to Savannah, Ga., at about 8 a.m., when it hit a backhoe that was operating on the track with a driver and with an Amtrak supervisor.
The accident occurred in Chester, about 25 km outside of Philadelphia.
The impact derailed the lead engine of the train that was carrying more than 300 passengers. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer told reporters he was told by Amtrak board chair Anthony Coscia that the workers killed were the equipment operator and a supervisor, both Amtrak employees. He said debris from the crash flew into the first two cars, causing the injuries to passengers.
Schumer said it’s unclear whether the backhoe was performing regular maintenance, which is usually scheduled on Sunday mornings because there are fewer trains on the tracks, or whether it was clearing debris from high winds in the area overnight. But he said Amtrak has “a 20-step protocol” for having backhoes on the track, and no trains are supposed to go on a track where such equipment is present.
“Clearly this seems very likely to be human error,” Schumer said, calling for Amtrak to review its processes.
“There is virtually no excuse for a backhoe to be on an active track.”
Thomas and Amtrak officials said more than 30 people were taken to hospitals with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening.
The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating. Officials with the Federal Railroad Administration were also sent to the scene, said Matthew Lehner, a spokesperson for the agency.
Service on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Philadelphia was operating after an earlier suspension. Limited service was restored between Wilmington, Delaware, and Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
Ari Ne’eman, a disability rights activist heading to Washington after speaking at an event in New York, said he was in the second car at the time of the crash.
“The car started shaking wildly,” said Ne’eman, 28.