Amtrak Statement on Train 89

Everyone at Amtrak is deeply saddened by the death of two Amtrak employees and injuries to our customers as a result of Train 89 hitting a piece of track equipment and derailing. We are working with the NTSB to identify the issues that led to this incident and will make any needed changes immediately.

Amtrak has strict protocols that crews must follow when tracks are taken out of service for maintenance or when work is being performed along the right-of-way. These protocols help ensure safe operations – both for the crew performing the work, and for the trains traveling through the work area.

At Amtrak, we have sought to build a culture where safety is a way of life for us — and deeply ingrained in everything we do. We take this approach because there is nothing more important to us than keeping our customers and employees safe.

Over time, Amtrak has a strong safety record. We have been a safe and reliable transporter of more than 30 million passengers across a 21,000-mile national network every year. However, we need to assess how we can get better. Amtrak is committed to identifying deliberate steps we can take as an organization to improve our safety culture and ensure the safe operation of the railroad for both our customers and employees.