Updated on: 2/22/2019
While the investigation into the December 2017 deadly derailment of the Amtrak Cascades continues, officials for the organization have outlined several safety changes.
The Washington State Department of Transportation posted a letter to its website that details an early-January 2018 meeting with Amtrak president and CEO Richard Anderson.
In the letter, Amtrak details its plans to ensure another derailment does not occur.
“We are confident that these actions will enhance the safety of our operations and will lead us to achieve class-leading safety performance over the next several years,” the letter states.
The letter lays out the immediate, mid and long-term safety initiatives. Amtrak has already instituted its short-term strategies, while the Positive Train Control system (PTC) that could have prevented the derailment will be functional on Amtrak Cascades by September 2018.
On Jan. 10, the Washington State House Transportation Committee questioned representatives from Amtrak and WSDOT in Olympia. Officials could not speak specifically about the circumstances of the derailment.
"One thing about tragedies is that you learn from them and we're learning how to ensure they never happen again," said WSDOT Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar.
"Train 506 in Steilacoom this past July and Train 501 in Dupont this December leaves no doubt that Amtrak needs to take serious steps to ensure the safety of our Amtrak Cascades operation," said Amtrak Senior Manager Rob Eaton.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the derailment could last up to two years.
More About The Amtrak Derailment
- New Amtrak Cascades Train Derails Onto I-5 Near Lacey; 3 Dead, 77 Injured
- Multiple Victims of Amtrak Train Derailment Hire Seattle Lawyer
- Amtrak Trying To Quickly Settle Claims Before Victims Hire Attorneys
- Amtrak Cascades Train Derailment Victims Need To Find Lawyers Fast
- WSDOT Explains Speed Limits Involved In Amtrak Derailment
- No PTC Speed Control Device On Train That Derailed Over I-5
- Amtrak Cascades Was More Than 30 Minutes Behind Schedule At The Time Of The Crash
- NTSB Blasted Amtrak For 'Adversarial' Safety Culture After 2016 Crash
- Report: Race To Get Federal Tax Dollars Trumped Safety Feature On Amtrak Cascades
- Amtrak Train Was Going More Than Twice Posted Speed Before Derailment
- Report: Amtrak Cascades Engineer May Have Been Distracted Prior To Derailment
- Part One: Critical Amtrak Cascades Disaster Questions
- Part Two: Amtrak Cascades Mechanical Equipment Questions
- NTSB: Amtrak Cascades Engineer Did Not Initiate Emergency Brake Before Derailment
- NTSB Releases Initial Review Of Amtrak Cascades Derailment
- Part 1: 911 Recordings Released From Amtrak Cascades Derailment
- Part 2: 911 Recordings Released From Amtrak Cascades Derailment
- 911 Recordings As Evidence In The Amtrak Derailment
- U.S. Department Of Transportation Issues Warning To Railroads
- About Genex: What Amtrak Accident Victims Need To Know
- NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORT: Amtrak Derailment
