Derailment on to SB I-5 in Nisqually - Dupont, WA

[wazzou]

First revenue train on new Point Defiance bypass line.

http://komonews.com/news/local/derailed-train-falls-off-bridge-onto-i-5-lanes-south-of-tacoma

[Mark W]

This coming just days after:

Lakewood mayor predicts deadly accidents from high-speed train service.
Tuesday, December 5th 2017


Important note though, it appears the Mayor's concerns were primarily pedestrians and grade crossing collisions.  The articles are vague, but did mention track "improvements" to support train speed. 
However it seems to suggest that not enough testing took place. 
 

[parkrrrr]

The articles are vague, but did mention track "improvements" to support train speed. 

The fact sheet on the project page has more details on the improvements, but is still pretty vague: https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Rail/PNWRC_PtDefiance/default.htm

• Construction of 14.5 miles of new and upgraded track through Lakewood and DuPont
• Five reconstructed at-grade crossings, each with an advanced warning and signal system

[Mark W]

78 Passengers 5 crew.  3 confirmed fatalities, all aboard the train.  Multiple vehicles hit as the train crashed across the interstate below (Can you imagine that sight )

I found this image of the normal vs bypass route. 
The accident occurred just 1 mile away from rejoining the main route and not on improved tracks mentioned earlier.  Only about half the bypass route was improved.



News is reporting the train as "Speeding" 81mph (79mph limit).  Though the curve just before the overpass is rather sharp, 2mph wouldn't make a difference without something else going wrong.  Rain has drenched the area, I would hypothesize weakened roadbed plus the extra sheer as the train makes the curve caused a track failure.

[Mark W]

KIRO 7 Just reported that of 83 passenger and crew aboard, 77 are being transported to hospitals.  3 fatalities, only 4 more in critical condition. 

That means just 3 people walked away from the crash.

[wazzou]

This has been a multi year project to alleviate the bottleneck that occurs as a result of going from doubletrack on the BNSF/UP mainline to a single track through a tunnel beneath Point Defiance.
The idea is to re-route all Amtrak and Sounder trains to this bypass in order to allow freight to move more easily in this restricted area.

Sight of derailment.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nisqually+Indian+Community,+WA+98513/@47.0786317,-122.6829808,1672m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x54910dc2b3b66897:0xc9bf2de63584c55a!8m2!3d47.0198602!4d-122.6827053

As can be viewed on this map, just to the left is the doubletrack mainline where this bypass rejoins the North/South Portland-Seattle main.

Here is a view of the tunnel on the left near the water and to the right where it says "Rust Park" is the other end of the tunnel. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Point+Ruston/@47.2921975,-122.5209725,1784m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x5490548289186f33:0x8327e2afda4ae43c!8m2!3d47.2984085!4d-122.5035677

The line that was re-built to handle passenger trains at speeds where this train derailed was done so to alleviate this traffic problem.
The track that was rebuilt was originally laid in 1914 and has been completely redone with new roadbed, concrete ties, signalling and automated crossing horns.

[wazzou]

Some early talk, unconfirmed, of a vehicle involved on track.

[parkrrrr]

The accident occurred just 1 mile away from rejoining the main route and not on improved tracks mentioned earlier.  Only about half the bypass route was improved.

Two things:

The position of the locomotive in the photos seems to indicate that the train was headed north, unless it was running backwards, so it had just entered the bypass section.

Google Street View from November 2016 seems to have an excavator on the ROW just north of the bridge, and another unidentifiable piece of MOW equipment a bit north of there, so I'm not sure we can definitively say that that rail wasn't part of the 14.5 miles of improvements. (Also of note, the blue line on the map is only about 9 1/4 miles long, though of course it's double track so maybe it counts twice.)

[wazzou]

Train as I understand had left Seattle 10 minutes late this morning and was headed Southbound.
Not uncommon for these Amtrak Cascade trains to be Push/Pull.

[parkrrrr]

Yep, the article says it's the 501, which is southbound. My mistake.

[nickelplate759]

There was an engine at both ends.  Lead engine was a Siemens Charger.

[wazzou]

Aerial images now show lead locomotive on the Freeway just on the South side of the overpass along with several more passenger cars in the woods on the South side.

[delamaize]

 
The accident occurred just 1 mile away from rejoining the main route and not on improved tracks mentioned earlier.  Only about half the bypass route was improved.

Actually, No, It was on part that was re-done. New rail, new ties, new signals, some re-alignment, and a ton of other upgrades. Most of that was jointed rail before the renovations.

[conrail98]

My gut, much like the incident on the NEC at Frankford Jct., this looks like speed going into the curve for the bridge. Looking at the overheads, you've got basically an S curve, with the bridge the straight, between each side of the highway. It was the first run but I have to assume the engineers had to be qual'd on the line, right?

Phil

[Philip H]

they should have.

i used to drive under that overpass all the time going south from seattle. almost always had a freight train on it.