Two Amtrak employees were killed and 116 passengers were injured on Sunday morning when their train was diverted to a side track and collided with a CSX freight train that had been parked on the track.
NTSB Chairman, Robert Sumwalt, said the rail switch had been manually set to divert the train to the side track. “Key to that investigation is learning why that switch was lined that way,” he said.
Amtrak President and CEO, Richard Anderson, told CNN the signal system along the section of track where the crash occurred was down and CSX had complete control of the tracks, signals, and switches in the area where the crash happened.
A spokesperson for CSX said “Our sincere condolences go out to the families of the two individuals who passed away following the tragic events that took place in Cayce, South Carolina, early this morning. We remain focused on providing assistance and support to those impacted by today’s incident.
CSX hosts more passenger trains on its network than any other major railroad in the United States, and passenger rail remains one of the safest ways to travel. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into this incident and CSX will continue working with the investigating team.”
The NTSB investigation is expected to take 12-18 months.
2 killed, 116 hurt when Amtrak train crashes into stationary freight train
