Hotline #791-B - September 22, 1993

Amtrak this morning suffered its worst ever accident, in terms of fatalities. As of 3:00 pm, Amtrak is confirming 40 dead, and that could still increase. Train 2, the eastbound Sunset Limited, derailed on CSX tracks on a bridge at 3:00 am, 10 miles east of the station at Mobile, Ala. There is no apparent cause for the derailment. Three locomotives -- including a brand-new AMD-103 locomotive -- a baggage car, a transition dorm, and two Superliner coaches were in water up to 25 feet deep. Another coach, a lounge, a diner, and a sleeper remained on the bridge, but one of those cars caught fire.

Three Amtrak crew members are believed trapped in the AMD-103, which was buried nose-down in the water and mud. Two crew members died in the transition dorm car. Most passenger fatalities were believed to be in the two Superliner coaches that rested in the water.

Private boats and Coast Guard helicopters and boats, assisted in the rescue and recovery attempt. A morgue was set up at an area lumberyard. A rescue train, probably made up of the Gulf Breeze equipment that lays up overnight at Mobile, took survivors to a hotel in Mobile. The Gulf Breeze is being substituted by bus today. Amtrak has set up a toll-free number for those who wish to inquire about individual passengers on board the train -- 800/523-9101.

Amtrak has had 47 passenger fatalities in 12 accidents from its birth in 1971, up until today. Today's accident will nearly double that all at once. The last major accident involving deep water was on September 14, 1958, when a Central of New Jersey commuter train ran through an open drawbridge on Newark Bay, drowning 48.

The House began debate today on H.R.2750, the 1994 DOT appropriations bill, after nearly a three-month delay due to conflicts between Chairman Mineta of Public Works and Chairman Carr of Transportation Appropriations. Chairman Carr lost his bid to get a ruling from the Rules Committee blocking Chairman Mineta from stripping unauthorized expenditures, but we understand that Chairman Carr will not fight such amendments, and that the debate is proceeding at a good clip, and that there could be a final vote today. We also understand Energy and Commerce Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Swift will engage Chairman Carr in a floor colloquy, to urge him to do better for Amtrak during conference committee meetings.

If the House finishes up this afternoon, we expect the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee to act no earlier than September 28 -- so keep those letters and cards coming to your Senators.

The Amtrak board met today.