Most likely, the train was going too fast to accommodate the curve as it was entering the railroad bridge.
American greedy capitalism at work: refuse to fix the train infrastructure and instead, speed up the trains on the old rail lines. Brilliant! Just Brilliant!
TACOMA, Washington (WABC) --
At least six people were killed when an Amtrak train derailed just before 8 a.m. Monday in Washington state, according to a U.S. official who stressed to the Associated Press that the death count is expected to rise.
Pierce County Sheriff spokesman Ed Troyer earlier confirmed multiple fatalities after the train derailed near Tacoma, about 40 miles south of Seattle, spilling at least one train car on to busy Interstate 5.
The Pierce County Sheriff's office said no one was killed in cars that were struck.
Amtrak says approximately 78 passengers and five crew members on board train 501, offering service from Seattle to Portland.
Amtrak said individuals with questions about their friends and family on train 501 should call 800-523-9101.
There was no immediate word on why the train left the tracks.
Chris Karnes was on the train Amtrak train that derailed south of Seattle, three or four cars back from the front. He told The Associated Press in a brief phone interview Monday morning that he was "not sure what got hit."
He was unhurt and is now near the medical tents set up in a median area between north- and sound-bound Interstate 5, just south of DuPont, Washington.
"The only car that is on the tracks is the rear locomotive," he said. "There are several cars that are hanging over the overpass."
The train was making its first run as part of a higher speed service that local authorities had warned could be dangerous.
Transitdocs.com, a website that maps Amtrak train locations and speeds using data from the railroad's train tracker app, says Train 501 was going 81.1 mph moments before the derailment Monday.
The state Department of Transportation posted information about the $180.7 million project online that says the maximum speed along that stretch of track is 79 mph.
The new route was designed to speed up service by removing passenger trains from a route along Puget Sound that's bogged down by curves, single-track tunnels and freight traffic.
The mayor of Lakewood, Washington, a city along the route, predicted a deadly crash. But Don Anderson thought it'd involve a fast-moving train hitting a car or pedestrian at a crossing.
President Trump opened his national security speech on Monday afternoon by talking about the accident.
"Let me begin by expressing our deepest sympathies and heartfelt prayers for the victims of the train derailment in Washington state. We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities," Trump said. "It is all the more reason why we must start immediately fixing the infrastructure of the United States."