Amtrak Empire Service Suspended due to Metro North Derailment

[jis]

According to ESPA Amtrak managed to run all scheduled service, many running hours behind schedule and a couple of bustitutions on Sunday. 63 got into Toronto after 2:30am, and it's border stop was only 20 mins.

 

[the_traveler]

Do they really consider shutting down entire rail corridors simply because a passenger with a weak constitution might see a dead body from an unrelated accident?

They didn't "shut down" Amtrak service because of "a passenger ... seeing a dead body ..."! It was shut down due to at least 2 things:
1) The signals mentioned above (since the derailment happened less than 500 feet from the switch Amtrak uses) and

2) The numerous emergency workers, first responders and investigators on the tracks!

 

[jis]

They didn't "shut down" Amtrak service because of "a passenger ... seeing a dead body ..."! It was shut down due to at least 2 things:

1) The signals mentioned above (since the derailment happened less than 500 feet from the switch Amtrak uses) and

2) The numerous emergency workers, first responders and investigators on the tracks!

A slight correction, the derailment happened something between 0.3 and 0.4 miles from the interlocking where Amtrak joins MNRR.
However, since the signals at CP-12 would be the last signals passed, they would want to download the CP event recorder from CP-12.

Some more facts.... the train should have had "Clear" at CP-12. MNRR does not have civil speed control. It has cab signal with signal speed enforcement. This signal does not try to enforce any civil speed limit. The track rule says train should be at 30mph approaching the interlocking and hence the curve.

It is possible that like on the Elizabeth S-Curve, after this event, the signal may be jerry-rigged to display an approach to enforce civil speed using signal speed control, pending the arrival of ACSES at which point the issue will become moot, since ACSES will enforce speed as denoted in the transponder approaching this point irrespective of signal aspect. MNRR just signed a contract the other day to install ACSES all through its network to meet the PTC mandate.

 

[WinNix]

Do they really consider shutting down entire rail corridors simply because a passenger with a weak constitution might see a dead body from an unrelated accident?

They didn't "shut down" Amtrak service because of "a passenger ... seeing a dead body ..."! It was shut down due to at least 2 things:
1) The signals mentioned above (since the derailment happened less than 500 feet from the switch Amtrak uses) and

2) The numerous emergency workers, first responders and investigators on the tracks!

1) I can confirm that what appeared to be mangled signal equipment trackside. Note, though, I have zero experience with anything related to signals so I may be totally wrong.

2) While we operate trackside, no trains are supposed to pass for any reason short of benefitting the emergency response. As most everyone already pointed out, the MNR and amtrak lines were not merged yet at the point of derailment. It is a technicality. The merge is so close I would have been shocked to see a train pass that close by. IC most certainly shut down both lines.

side note - I do not know what the amtrak or MNR operating procedures are for passing emergency vehicles. I am sure someone here does ?? However, based on experience we must park and turn off our emergency lights for a train to pass. Even if I were to directly tell county control and MNR to let the train through, the trains will not move with our lights are lit up. This being a mass casualty situation, lights on all vehicles on scene would have remained on until they were released to return to quarters. 2 + 2 = no trains on either line can pass until the scene was 100% clear of emergency workers.

edit: typos

 

[PRR 60]

A few recent posts related to Metro North have been moved to the derailment topic in the commuter trains forum. If your post is missing, that is where it went.