Amtrak train breaks apart while traveling at 125 MPH from DC to NYC

An Amtrak train traveling from Washington, D.C., to Penn Station in New York City at 125 mph broke apart on Tuesday morning, according to a report.

This is the third Amtrak wreck in just one week and the fourth in two months. A source told the New York Post the incident involving the 2150 Acela occurred around 6:30 a.m. As the train separated, sparks flew from dragging cables and the train jerked wildly, but none of the 52 terrified passengers aboard were injured, according to reports. A photo taken by an Amtrak worker shows the connector between two coupled trains broken and separated, with a six-foot gap between them.

 

Amtrak confirmed the train broke apart, and a spokesman said they are investigating the incident.

"We are currently investigating the cause of the car separation, inspecting every Acela trainset, and taking any necessary actions to prevent a reoccurrence," spokesman Jason Abrams said.

 

 

The train separated in Maryland about 50 miles north of Baltimore. One passenger was playing on his phone when he felt his car shake suddenly and then saw sparks outside his window.

"It felt almost like we were dragging something," said Andrew Exum, 39, a journalist who lives in the Washington area and works in New York.

"I looked out the window and saw a shower of sparks coming out the side of the train. Pretty quickly, the train came to a halt and the Amtrak folks rushed forward. I could tell by their faces that this was serious, and that we weren’t going anywhere."

The crew first tried to fix the situation themselves, and then told passengers that they had to evacuate everyone from first class and the quiet car, which is where Exum was, the commuter shared.

He said: "There were a lot of fumes and a little bit of smoke. So we moved to the next car and just kind of waited. They powered down the train so we were literally in the dark for 30 minutes or so, maybe a little bit longer."

credit: Linda Ikeji's Blog http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2018/2/amtrak-train-breaks-apart-while-traveling-at-125-mph-from-dc-to-nyc.html