Passenger Trains > Congressional Greenbrier train hits truck

Just saw a rumor that the train taking House Republicans to the Greenbrier for their party retreat has had an accident of some kind.

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Per Twitter from various sources on the train, it sounds like a grade crossing vehicle strike.

UPDATE: Local NBC affiliate (twitter @NBC29) is reporting the crash was in Crozet, Va., on the Buckingham Branch. They have some photos. Also reporting one fatality in the truck.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/18 09:02 by Dcmcrider.

CNBC is reporting the Amtrak train hit a garbage truck in Charlottesville. No serious injuries reported among GOP congressmen or their spouses.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/18 08:51 by Copy19.

What is the train's consist, Amtrak equipment or PV's ?

it's 4 Amtrak Coach cars , Symbol is NS 099 .. Amtrak 4/145 is the power for 099

A train carrying members of Congress to a Republican retreat in West Virginia has been involved in an accident, after apparently striking a dump truck and derailing.
The truck may have been stuck on the tracks.

Some members were thrown from their seats, Fox News is told.
The accident took place in Crozet, Va., near Charlottesville, Va. Members were on a special chartered Amtrak train to the Greenbrier resort.
The nature of any injuries is unclear. Fox News is told no GOP members or family members were injured, though Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., tweeted that he was helping the injured.
"We are on our way to our annual GOP retreat, the train carrying members and spouses hit something. Laina and I are ok, I am helping those that are injured, I will have Laina keep you updated as I know more," he tweeted.

Two pictures at link below.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/31/train-carrying-lawmakers-to-gop-retreat-involved-in-accident.html



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/18 09:09 by PennPlat.

Will this affect funding?

I don't know whether this is best described as a "never again" situation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/18 09:09 by reindeerflame.

Fox News is reporting one fatality in this crash.

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/18 13:15 by darkcloud.

darkcloud Wrote:
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> Hopefully this is the last time a 'Congressional'
> train is run. Just foolish for such a large
> percentage of Congress to be in any single
> transportation vehicle (train, aircraft, boat,
> etc.) This appears to be just another driver
> error at a rail crossing getting hit by a train,
> but the sabotage risk is always going to be there.
> Which is why security usually prefers high target
> politicians to fly for long distance trips.
> Oversimplified, but basically 2 airports and 2
> relatively short road routes to secure, versus
> hundreds of rail crossings and bridges, or
> thousands of highway intersections and bridges,
> etc.
>
> Foamnatics: It isn't a knock on Amtrak or
> passenger rail that Presidents, half of Congress,
> the entire supreme court, etc. should probably not
> use the the same train (or plane.)

The TV show Designated Survivor and the book Tripwire are both based on the premise that Congress and the Executive Branch have been gutted by a location centered event.

Looks like they were operating with a unit on each end, so hopefully they can bring the train back into Charlottesville to transfer everyone to a bus or another mode.

Adam

Those Amfleets are probably the cleanest cars on the Amtrak system today.

Railfan83 Wrote:
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> Fox News is reporting one fatality in this crash.


Where? I don't see a reference to one

Adam

CNN said there were fatalities on the truck.
CNN was interviewing Rep Tom Cole, who was in the last car with Session (TX), who was standing talking to him at the time of impact.
Cole said either the truck driver did not follow protocol or got stalled on the crossing. I didn't sense any bitterness toward Amtrak or trains in general. He didn't know if the buses would take them to DC or to Greenbriar. Pence was to join the tonight, Trump tomorrow.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/18 09:33 by joemvcnj.

So, this was not the Cardinal, eh?

I was not aware of such trains operating to the Greenbriar. How often has this been done in the last 20 years?

AltiplanoRailtours1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks like they were operating with a unit on each
> end, so hopefully they can bring the train back
> into Charlottesville to transfer everyone to a bus
> or another mode.
>
> Adam

Why?

Is there damage to the train (derailment) that would prevent the train from continuing?

EDIT: Still not sure if derailed or not, but Heritage Engine #145 had its nose moderately damaged, lights broken - so presumably not able to continue. Now the questions is now much this will delay the regular Cardinals which are headed that direction from both ends of the route.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/18 09:42 by P.

It appears (i could be mis informed by the angle of the iphone photo) that the lead axle of AMTK 145 is off the rails

Adam

145 got a bad nose job too.

Location:

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