In the latest string of accidents involving Amtrak train cars, a high-speed Amtrak traveling to Boston broke into two pieces in Maryland as it reached speeds of up to 125mph on Tuesday.
The malfunction occurred early Tuesday morning on the 2150 train traveling from Washington, D.C. to Boston. The train was to stop in New York before continuing to Boston.
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“Earlier this morning, at approximately 6:40 a.m., Acela Express train 2150 traveling from Washington, DC, to Boston, experienced a mechanical issue when two of the train’s cars separated,” the company said in a statement.
“There were approximately 52 passengers aboard, who were transferred to Northeast Regional Train 180,” Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams told CBS News. “There were no reported injuries to customers or crew.”
The train reportedly consisted of eight cars in total, including five passenger cars. Two cars separated near Havre de Grace, Maryland. The Acela line is the high-speed business-class line serving the Northeast Corridor, the service’s busiest stretch.
The New York Post reported that the train reached speeds up to 125 mph, but Amtrak has not confirmed the speed.
Amtrak officials are investigating what caused the train cars to separate and are inspecting other Acela trains to prevent it from happening again.
Abrams says Amtrak is currently inspecting “every Acela trainset.” Precautionary measures will be taken, if needed, to prevent the incident from happening again, Abrams said.
The incident comes just two days after two Amtrak employees were killed and more than 100 people were injured when a passenger train collided with a freight train in South Carolina. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating why the train hit the empty freight train parked on a side track.
Last week, an Amtrak train carrying Republican lawmakers to their annual retreat in West Virginia collided with a garbage truck in Crozet, Va. A passenger in the truck was killed.
On Sunday, Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson sent a memo to employees emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safe travel of its passengers and crew.
“We have been involved in two safety incidents in the last week: Train 923 carrying U.S. Congressional members and staff in Crozet, Virginia, Wednesday, and Train 91 in Cayce, South Carolina, this morning,” Anderson wrote. “These incidents remind us that the safety of our operations is always our first priority, above all other objectives at Amtrak. Please know that each of us has the fundamental right to stop the operation, slow the operation or cancel the operation when we face a safety issue. Safety is always more important than on-time performance or the desire to complete an operation.”
In December, an Amtrak train near Seattle derailed from a highway overpass onto the highway below, killing three and injuring dozens. The NTSB hasn’t concluded what caused the Dec. 18 crash. Train cars dangled over Interstate 5 after leaving the tracks, and the accident injured eight people on the highway. The damage was estimated at more than $40 million.
