Train safety system being tested at site of deadly Amtrak derailment
The Washington State Department of Transportation will conduct train equipment testing on Point Defiance Bypass, the site of a deadly Amtrak derailment in December 2017.
Author: KING Staff
September 15, 2018
Train testing began this weekend along Point Defiance Bypass, a rail line between DuPont and Tacoma.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is testing the implementation of positive train control, known as PTC, for Amtrak Cascades trains.
In December 2017, Amtrak train 501 was on its inaugural run on Point Defiance Bypass when it sped around a curve and derailed. Three people died, several people were injured, and some train cars fell onto I-5 below the bypass.
The train was going more than 50 mph over the speed limit when it derailed. Experts believe PTC technology could have prevented the deadly crash.
WSDOT will test Amtrak Cascades trains this Saturday and Sunday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Trains will be tested at speeds up to 79 mph at this time. The corridor will remain open to other trains at all hours of the weekend.
Amtrak is expected to resume passenger service on Point Defiance Bypass by Spring 2019, according to WSDOT.