Amtrak Cascade Derailment at Dupont, WA

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Having 7-10 trips observing the line, and then 3 trips actually operating is quite the qualifying runs. More than a freight engineer would typically get on a route they weren't qualified on.

Not sure what a road foreman would have added as it's not like the road foreman had operated over the line in revenue service previously. And there was a second person in the cab, who was learning the territory. Seems they weren't paying attention either.

I understand you are personally connected to this and the loss is a tragedy and hindsight is 20/20, but just as the engineer in Philly, the engineer lost situational awareness and it cost 3 people their lives.

According to several of the Amtrak crew members some of the training consisted of riding in the rear cab at night. In my opinion you will learn almost nothing that way. As a truck driving I know it takes several trips over a particular highway IN THE DAYLIGHT, not at night, to begin to know a route. Amtrak seems to have tried to fast-track the training to get the route open sooner.
 
It appears very likely that the amount and quality of training provided will be a major factor. I suspect that the engineer will take the majority of the blame, as he lost situational awareness, but his seeming lack of familiarity will be called into question as well.
 
It appears very likely that the amount and quality of training provided will be a major factor. I suspect that the engineer will take the majority of the blame, as he lost situational awareness, but his seeming lack of familiarity will be called into question as well.
Have you spoken to the engineer since the derailment, Bob?

I can't imagine this hasn't affected him.
 
Have you spoken to the engineer since the derailment, Bob?

I can't imagine this hasn't affected him.

No, I have not. He and I are purely acquaintances, so we rarely spoke beforehand either, even though our paths cross online a lot.

He has recently reappeared online, but I’ve had no personal conversations with him.

I’m sure it affects him greatly and will for the rest of his life. I hope he can deal with it OK
 




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