“Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement that he was ‘saddened by the tragic loss of life and injuries in the Missouri train derailment today,’ adding that Federal Railroad Administration staff would support the investigation.”
No it’s Buttplug’s fault.
First of all Trains have the right of way on their rails. However with that said most RR crossings don’t have lights/guards and other safety features. Buttplug needs to do something about this. Most of the accidents that happen at train crossings happen and that have happened this month, happened because there was nothing to warn people a train was coming.
Also Amtrak is not like other trains. It’s faster and more quiet. this is why we need flashing lights and guards up at all crossings.
Joe and Pete’s transportation.
Amtrak is not quieter than freight trains outside what’s called the Northeast Corridor (former Pennsylvania and New Haven railroads between Boston and Washington DC), being diesel-powered; the General Electric Genesis locos on this train have four-stroke diesels, which are generally louder than the former two-stroke diesels Amtrak used twenty years ago or so. And they’re only slightly faster than freight trains thanks to government regulation (top speed 79 mph generally, with some exceptions).
The Amtrak train on this route hasn’t been known as the Super Chief since 1974, when it was renamed the Southwest Limited. It became the Southwest Chief in 1984.
The grade crossing where the dumptruck was is on a dirt road with only crossbucks indicating where the rails are. All road vehicles are required to stop, look both directions and listen for train horns before attempting to cross the tracks. And the rails are railroad property.
Adding crossing guards and warnings was something the state was responsible for. It was on their to-do list.