The Amtrak Tragedy

How has the derailment hit home for you?

By now, the horrible facts should be familiar: Amtrak Train 188, traveling from New York to Washington, D.C., derailed Tuesday night when it sped around a curve in Philadelphia at more than double the speed limit, leaving eight dead and 200 injured. The shock and grief felt throughout our community have been significant, and will likely last for some time to come.

It’s been reported that the train was traveling at 106 mph when the engineer hit the emergency brakes, sending it careening off the tracks. Service from Philadelphia to New York remains suspended, with limited travel from Center City to Harrisburg and Washington. In newer developments, The New York Times has indicated that the crash could’ve been prevented if the train had received a critical technological update designed to stop and slow trains in the event of human error. And NBC10 has reported that even an older system might have prevented the accident, but it was missing from the train.

What are your thoughts on the tragedy? Do you have any connections to those who were on board? We’d like to hear from you …

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