Loading ...The deadly Amtrak crash near Philadelphia is mysterious as to why it was travelling 106 mph into that curve. The engineer is, by all accounts, a lifelong nerd who loved trains, loved his job, and was fanatic about safety… an advocate for “positive train control”. So intentional sabotage is unlikely.
This is my own pure speculation here… but knowing that RR Crews frequently work odd hours and may be tired, it is possible he was nodding off and pushed the throttle up in the last minute when they gained speed into the curve. Or, if he was tired and zoned out, he pushed the throttle while intending to push on the brakes heading into the curve, and realized it too late.
This will be the motivator to FINISH installing PTC… “Positive Train Control” along the Northeast Corridor between NYC and Washington DC… the busiest commuter rail line in the country. Many sections of the track do not have this technology installed as yet. All Amtrak train locomotives are equipped with this to prevent overspeed and prevent running red STOP signals.
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