Amtrak Train Heading To Washington Via NYC Derails In Vermont
NORTHFIELD, Vt. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An Amtrak train that was scheduled to make stops in the Tri-State area derailed Monday morning in central Vermont after striking rocks that were on the tracks, authorities said.
Seven people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, CBS2's Dick Brennan. One of the injured was in serious condition and had to be transported by helicopter.
Train 55, also known as the Vermonter, was traveling from St. Albans, Vermont, to Washington, D.C. It was to make stops in Bridgeport, Connecticut; Stamford, Connecticut; New York City; Newark, New Jersey; and Iselin, New Jersey.
It was due to arrive at Penn Station in Manhattan at 6:25 p.m. Monday. Passengers who were aboard the train were being bused to Springfield, Massachusetts, where they were to board another train for service to D.C.
The accident occurred around 10:30 a.m. in Northfield, Vermont, about 10 miles southwest of Montpelier. The train struck a rockslide on the tracks, Amtrak said. Five cars derailed, and three remained on the tracks.
There were 98 passengers and four crew members aboard the train, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin said.
"It was a pretty brutal derailment caused by ledge on the track, and as one of the passengers said to me, 'Someone was looking out for us because literally we walked out of a very, very difficult situation,'" Shumlin said. "This was a freak of nature.''
Many of the passengers were gazing out their windows as part of a fall foliage tour when the train derailed, CBS2's Dick Brennan reported.
"I felt something, and it was like 'bump,' and next thing we knew it was like we kind of swerved to the left and then swerved to the right, and we were all going 'uh-oh!'" one woman said.
The governor said officials do not believe there was any wrongdoing.
Authorities said they will review all areas of the so-called potential fallen rock zones.
"The salvage operation will begin as soon as we can," Shumlin said. "As you can imagine, ties are torn up, there is some diesel fuel in the river, and it's going to take some time for us to be able to clear away the tracks and rebuild them."
Vermont State Police and local fire and rescue agencies responded to the scene.
Matthew Lehner, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, said it was aware of the derailment and had sent investigators to the scene.
Individuals with questions about their friends and family on Train 55 should call Amtrak's Emergency Hotline at 800-523-9101.
New England Central Railroad, the railway that operates the stretch of tracks in Vermont, has had 54 accidents since 2006, including 14 derailments.
Federal records show New England Central, part of the Genesee and Wyoming Railroad, has had four accidents since 2006 that could have involved debris on the tracks. In the railroad's 54 accidents, three people died.
Federal safety rules for tracks that carry passengers require at least two inspections every week, with at least one day between each inspection.
Company officials confirmed details of the crash but did not immediately provide a comment.
In May, another Amtrak train that was traveling from Washington to New York derailed in Philadelphia, killing eight people.
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