Amtrak 449 Derailment - March 8, 2009
March 10th, 2009Here’s some photos and my story from the Amtrak derailment I was involved in.
March 8th, I got on Amtrak’s Lakeshore Limited in Springfield, MA, destined for Buffalo-Depew, NY. The train arrived on time and we departed as scheduled at 2:15pm. The consist included AMTK 153, 58(?), baggage car, two Amfleet coaches, and a cafe car. Everything went smooth for the next 30 minutes after departure from Springfield station. That’s when the train derailed at 2:45pm. It felt similar to riding a bicycle on smooth asphalt and suddenly hitting loose gravel, but I found it no worse than rough airplane turbulence. All three cars and one of the two locomotives derailed, and thankfully all stayed upright. The derailment occurred on a curve alongside the Westfield River near Woronoco, MA. On our right side is a steep embankment going up. On our left side is a step embankment going down 100 or so feet and ending at the river. There’s about five or so feet from the railway track edge to the hill’s face.
Now, I sympathize with the situation up to this point. Yes, derailments happen. It could’ve been much worse. There were no serious injuries and no cars overturned or were seriously damaged. But the busing situation was very chaotic and the passengers were left in the dark.
We were told it would be three or four hours before we could leave the train. We are in a somewhat remote area… not too far from civilization, but just in a difficult area of railway track. The plans constantly change and the passengers are left in the dark. First, we’re told a bus is taking us back to Springfield and then departing for Albany, NY. Then, some buses are going straight to Albany. We’re told to leave our luggage on the train and it will be taken care of and put on our buses. While we wait, the power for the coach cars has been cut due to fire hazard, so the temperature becomes quite uncomfortable and what limited electrical plugs that were on the train are now useless. (The power is eventually returned to the cars 5 minutes before we are allowed off.)
Amtrak Crews do walk the train offering free water, chips, and for those lucky enough to be hanging out in the cafe car, free sandwiches.
What ended up happening is this:
We finally are allowed off the train at 6:30pm, where we walk along the muddy access road to a school bus. We load onto the school bus. I have my backpack with my camera and laptop gear. My clothing bag stayed on the train. The school bus takes us all of 1/4 mile to a small community where the fire chief driving the bus gets out and the school bus company driver takes over. He drives, I kid you not, 100 feet to the edge of a parking lot where we are now transferred to a Peter Pan Coach Charter bus. My clothing bag is not put on this bus. Our bus leaves the community and meets with two other charter buses at the nearest main route. One bus is going to Pittsfield (the station after Springfield), One is going straight to Albany, and my bus is going BACKWARDS to Springfield to let four passengers off. Why were people going BACK to Springfield if they departed it going westbound? All this time I have no idea where my clothing bag is. There were no Amtrak employees on the bus which I was riding.
We then go to the Peter Pan bus terminal and wait until a new driver shows up. Apparently, Amtrak didn’t tell Peter Pan that a bus to Albany was needed so we wait two hours for the new driver to show. We depart at 9:00pm. The other charter buses at the derailment site belonged to a different company. For some reason, our bus has to go to Pittsfield for two passengers. Not sure why they didn’t get on the bus to Pittsfield from the derailment site. The route to Pittsfield is all slow county routes, not interstates or highways.
We finally arrive in Albany at 11:45pm, where our connecting train (49) had been held since 5:30pm or so. I feel bad for the passengers on that train who waited 6 hours for the derailment passengers to finally show up. Thankfully, my clothing bag is on the platform waiting for me. Derailment passengers were given pizza once aboard train 49.
Grand total, only 5 hours late getting into Buffalo. My vehicle was parked there so I was home in Hamilton, Ontario, by about 6:30am.
An interesting experience for sure. I don’t want to relive it anytime soon but at least now I can say I’ve been in a train derailment! Haha.
