NTSB Chair Frustrated Previous Rail Safety Recommendations Went Unheeded
July 1, 2022 8:29AM CDT
Monday’s Amtrak derailment near Mendon left four people dead and approximately 150 injured. The train was bound for Chicago when it collided with a dump truck at a passive crossing. This crossing featured no lights, crossing arms, or warning bells to alert motorists of an oncoming train. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy says a previous safety recommendation could have prevented this accident.
Homendy adds it’s a frustrating feeling when safety recommendations go unheeded.
Early results from the NTSB investigation into the accident revealed the train was traveling 89 miles per hour when it blew its horn and 87 when it hit the truck. The speed limit on that portion of the railroad is 90.
