Train services along bypass in western Washington set to restart years after deadly derailment
DUPONT, Wash.– It’s almost been four years since the deadly Amtrak derailment in western Washington and the route is finally scheduled to start back up.
Amtrak said on Tuesday the Cascade Service on the Point Defiance Bypass will resume on Nov. 18. The first Amtrak Cascades train using the bypass will leave Seattle at 7:22 a.m.
In Dec. 2017, the first paid passenger run on the bypass derailed on an overpass. Three people were killed and several more were hurt. The train was running between Seattle and Portland.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the train was going 78 mph over a 30 mph curve when it went off the tracks.
Now, Amtrak said it’s ready to start back up on the route. It said it has conducted crew qualifications as it gets ready for the resumption of service on the Point Defiance Bypass route. The training was conducted in coordination with Sound Transit.
“Amtrak is continuously improving safety for the benefit of our customers, employees, and the communities we serve,” said Stephen Gardner, President of Amtrak. “We are ready to safely resume service on the Bypass consistent with the steps required by our host railroad, Sound Transit, the Federal Railroad Administration and our own Safety Management System.”
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