The move to add cockpit cameras in trains on the Northeast Corridor line by the year's end follows a derailment outside Philadelphia that killed eight people and injured about 200.
"Inward-facing video cameras will help improve safety and serve as a valuable investigative tool," Amtrak Chief Executive Joe Boardman said in a statement.
The cameras will be installed in 70 locomotives that power trains on the Washington-to-Boston northeast corridor, as well as service between New York, Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Amtrak is still looking into ways to install cameras in the high-speed locomotives that power its Acela express line through the region and on diesel-powered locomotives.
The northbound train involved in the May 12 derailment accelerated to 106 miles per hour (171 kilometers per hour) from 70 mph (113 km) in the minute before the crash, which occurred on a sharp curve. Investigators have not yet concluded why the train sped up so dramatically but are looking into possibilities including equipment malfunction or human error.
The Federal Railroad Administration last week ordered Amtrak to take immediate steps to improve the safety of its busiest route, including identifying dangerous curves along the Northeast Corridor where slower speeds could reduce the risk of mishap.