Breaking - Derailed train falls off bridge onto I-5 lanes south of Tacoma

[icymist]

?1513612476164

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - All southbound lanes of Interstate 5 are closed south of Joint Base Lewis-McChord after a train derailed and fell off an overpass onto the freeway.

Motorists are being warned to avoid the area.

State transportation officials say the train derailed near Mounts Road.

http://komonews.com/news/local/derailed-train-falls-off-bridge-onto-i-5-lanes-south-of-tacoma

I'm hearing on the television that this is an Amtrack train with a multiple causality response. Train was Amtrack 501 from Seattle. Reports are the train hit a truck.

Train derails onto I-5 near Olympia; all lanes blocked

An Amtrak train has derailed on an overpass, and it's hanging over Interstate 5 near Olympia. All are lanes blocked.

Download the KIRO 7 News app for breaking developments on this story. We are providing information as we get it into the newsroom in the real-time updates below.

Real-time updates:
7:58 a.m.

High speed Amtrak train hanging over I-5 at Mounts road. First responders are treating this as a mass casualty incident, but no official word on injuries yet.

7:50 a.m.

The train left from Tacoma and derailed in Dupont.

http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/train-derails-onto-i-5-in-pierce-county-all-lanes-blocked/665619813

The Department Of Transportation have shut off the cameras which view this incident. Reports of emergency vehicle after emergency vehicle heading for and leaving the scene north. More as I find out.

Link to tweet

Real-time updates:
8:22 a.m.

Some injuries are reported. An airlift is on the way to the scene.

Amtrak sent the following to KIRO 7 News.

Amtrak is aware of an incident with Train 501, Cascades service from Seattle to Portland. Emergency services are on the scene and Amtrak management is responding.

8:15 a.m.

I-5 is expected to be closed for a while.

8:48 a.m.

Sheriff’s office confirms fatalities, people trapped after train derailment on I-5.

8:47 a.m.

The service was supposed to be rated for a maximum speed of 79 mph for the section where it derailed in DuPont, according to passenger Chris Karnes. Karnes, who was on board the train when it derailed, said at least seven cars derailed from the tracks. The emergency doors were not functioning correctly, which forced passengers to kick out train windows to exit.

"We had just passed the city of DuPont and it seemed like we were going around a curve," Karnes said. "All of a sudden, we felt this rocking and creaking noise, and it felt like we were heading down a hill. The next thing we know, we're being slammed into the front of our seats, windows are breaking, we stop, and there's water gushing out of the train. People were screaming."
"The tracks for this line were supposed to be upgraded to be able to handle higher speeds," he continued. "I'm not sure what happened at this juncture."

[BigmanPigman]

1. It was also the first day of this train's new service.

[MissB]

3. Damn. That sucks

[MineralMan]

2. WHOA! This is really bad!

[Wwcd]

4. I-5 is the main N-S freeway. Traffic rerouting is a nightmare

This is a horrible event.
Ugh!

[csziggy]

5. Google Maps street view Nov 2016 shows work on the RR tracks right there

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nisqually+Rd+SW+%26+I-5+%26+Mounts+Rd+SW,+DuPont,+WA+98327/@47.0821524,-122.6744293,16.9z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x549108da6cba2319:0x5637f7186e52702e!8m2!3d47.0839255!4d-122.6637055

[IADEMO2004]

27. Train was exiting a curve to to other side of interstate

[icymist]

6. They're saying that this is a brand new route from Tacoma to Portland

New Amtrak Cascades route starts Monday

The new route will take trains further inland parallel to Interstate 5 through Tacoma, Lakewood, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.


Expanded Amtrak Cascades high-speed train service hits the tracks Monday.

It includes a new route between Tacoma and Olympia. The old route ran along the waterfront. The new route will take trains further inland parallel to Interstate 5 through Tacoma, Lakewood, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

http://www.king5.com/article/news/local/new-amtrak-cascades-route-starts-monday/281-500155673?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5a37e60419694a00073440c6&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. Trainorders: Passenger Trains Amtrak Cascades Derails onto I-5

This is the BNSF line that runs from Portland, Oregon, up through Vancouver, Washington, and on through Seattle.

Passenger Trains > Amtrak Cascades Derails onto I-5

Here's one reply:

Date: 12/18/17 08:29
Re: Amtrak Cascades Derails onto I-5
Author: SunsetLtd

Was watching it on transitdocs when it happened. Was going 81.6 mph just prior to the derailment site crossing I-5, Don't know the specifics of the bypass yet but looking at google maps is that curve good for that speed? Looks rather sharp. Of course it's been moved off train tracker now, I know the talgos can take curves at higher speeds but what about the engines?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/17 08:31 by SunsetLtd.

Transitdocs: Amtrak/VIA Real Time Train Location Map

Pierce County Washington Live Audio Feeds

Law enforcement, BNSF, Fire and Rescue, etc.

Twitter feed from someone on the train:

Chris Karnes

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. Safety concerns had been voiced by local Mayor prior to opening this route

"The mayor of Lakewood believes it is just a matter of time before these high speed trains kill someone. He asked the DOT presenters to do better. Mayor Don Anderson said grade separations – such as overpasses – should be included to keep trains away from cars and pedestrians.

“Come back when there is that accident, and try to justify not putting in those safety enhancements, or you can go back now and advocate for the money to do it, because this project was never needed and endangers our citizens,” Anderson said."

Lakewood mayor predicts deadly accidents from high-speed train service
http://komonews.com/news/local/lakewood-mayor-predicts-deadly-accidents-from-high-speed-train-service

edited to say I'm not sure if the concerns that the Mayor voiced had anything to do with the cause of this derailment.

[icymist]

9. King 5 just reported people being taken to Madigan Army Medical Center (nearest hospital)

Link to tweet

[icymist]

10. This is starting to look real bad.

Link to tweet

[mcar]

11. How awful!

[Wounded Bear]

12. Doubly sad...

This will probably derail all talk about high speed rail now. Around the world, people are riding at 2-300 miles/hour. We try to do 80 and the train runs off the track.

I've heard there are fatalities and many injuries. So sad. This is the state of American infrastructure.

[icymist]

13. More photos from the scene - Just heard mass causality situation (Unconfirmed; at least three dead)

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Interesting to point out the triage tents in the below photo:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[MissB]

18. I didnt know they had color coded triage tents

I can see the effectiveness of color coding but it still strikes me as odd.

[icymist]

19. Yup.

Green = minor
Yellow = serious
Red = critical

[MissB]

21. Yeah Im hoping if Im in a mass casualty event

and end up in a tent other than green.... well I’d hope to suddenly become color blind if I’m awake.

[Joe941]

14. Under tRump we will see a lot more of this happening...

our infrastructure is crumbling and with tax cuts for the rich we won't have the money to fix it.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

15. That rail most likely wasn't "our" infrastructure but a private line.

Amtrak owns very little track.

[icymist]

17. This was first ever passenger train on that track.

Before, it was mostly freight.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

20. Right. My point being it's owned by the freight line.

I find that many people seem to think that railroads are nationalized, for some reason. They're not. They're private property owned by corporations.

[samnsara]

28. yes thats right.. this is part of Sound transit..it was recently UPGRADED

..to accommodate this high speed train. There had been a cpl test runs with no incidences but the first actual scheduled passenger run was this morning. My nieces husband drives this stretch of interstate every day as hes stationed at JBLM.

[Joe941]

35. That too is what rePukes want...

Get the G out of everything - let the private sector to it!

[icymist]

16. Amtrak provides phone number for people with questions

Link to tweet

[icymist]

22. Tweets from Gov. Inslee:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[AllyCat]

23. OMG! My wishes for safety for the rescuers

And healing for all involved. Sympathy for the families of those who lost their lives. Crumbling infrastructure claims more victims.

[aeromanKC]

24. Infrastructure on the cheap

This doesn't seem to happen in other countries.

[OxQQme]

25. KOMO video

http://komonews.com/news/nation-world/amtrak-releases-statement-after-train-derails-onto-interstate

[OxQQme]

30. Portland Seahawks fans heading home n/t

[samnsara]

26. glued to it all day.. all relatives on that side of the state..

..but no commuters. But wow right on top of I-5 during morning rush hour!!! It was a miracle no one in any car was killed!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

29. Everything considered, it could have been a lot worse.

I'm hearing right now that 77 people have been taken to hospital, three dead at this point.

The death toll might rise, but hopefully it will stay in the single digits.

As someone who is a huge proponent of public transportation, and as someone who took a long-distance Amtrak trip several years ago, I hope this doesn't get people to start saying that trains are unsafe. At this point we haven't a clue why it derailed.

[Puzzler]

32. I agree

[icymist]

31. I just heard that there are six confirmed dead.

This is a picture of the curve that witnesses saw the train derail on. The speed limit here is 30 MPH. It is reported the train was traveling at 78 to 81 MPH. Two engines, a push-pull train as I just heard. The tracks here were just put in; they're new!

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Puzzler]

37. Hmm... to my eyes it looks like that curve ...

...has little (or no) normal “easement”, or transition curve. Railways always always use these. That’s why Lionel model train curves look so different than real railway curves (aside from being way sharper). Perhaps that pic was taken before the track was aligned properly?

Regardless, a train heading into a sharp 30 mph curve at over 80 mph would almost certainly derail.

-Puzzler

[dlk]

33. The U. S. Desparately Needs Infrastructure Upgrades-Couldn't Be a Worse Time For a Huge Tax Cuts

[icymist]

36. The tracks at this scene were just recently upgraded.

[Joe941]

40. Yup. This needs to be blame on tRump and his ilk.

[Wednesdays]

48. Yeah, tRump will fix this problem bigly!

[moondust]

46. Quiet please. The emperor is tuning up.

[OxQQme]

34. Lakewood mayor predicts deadly accidents from high-speed train service

http://komonews.com/news/local/lakewood-mayor-predicts-deadly-accidents-from-high-speed-train-service

[AllaN01Bear]

38. live coverege link via youtube .

[Initech]

39. How about this?

Let's take that trillion dollars we were going to give to the fucking asshole billionaires and spend it on rebuilding our infrastructure? I can guarantee the latter would pay for itself many times over, where the former is simply a cash grab. It would prevent future incidents like this from happening.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

41. What you're calling for is a giveaway to corporations. The vast majority of lines Amtrak runs on are

owned by freight RRs. Better funding for enforcement and regulation would help, of course.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

47. Building infrastructure is NOT a giveaway.

Nothing like the giveaway to the rich.

Infrastructure creates jobs during engineering, preparation of materials, construction and maintenance.
Infrastructure enables jobs because the economy is not impeded in moving goods, materials and people efficiently (less cost and timely).

Giving tax breaks to billionaires and centi-millionaires only inflates the dollar valuation of real estate and art work. If they could find new business opportunities they'd already be investing the wealth they already have.

[OxQQme]

42. Report: Over 1 million barrels of oil shipped across Wash. each week

http://komonews.com/news/local/over-1-million-barrels-of-oil-shipped-across-wash-each-week

[L. Coyote]

43. Don't worry, billionaires will fix our infrastructure by trickle down after they empty the Treasury.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Stryst]

44. I grew up in Aberdeen, and went to college at Evergreen State

This is a route my partner and I traveled a LOT a few years ago.

[shanti]

45. Anyone here local?

How close was this to the Nisqually River?

[icymist]

49. Message from WSDOT - Now hearing reports that south bound I-5 will be closed for several days

Link to tweet