Conductor Sues Amtrak Over Philly Crash

Via NBC News:

One of the conductors aboard the Amtrak train that derailed last week in Philadelphia has sued the rail carrier. Emilio Fonseca, of Kearny, New Jersey, filed the lawsuit Monday in Newark. It seeks unspecified damages. The complaint accuses Amtrak of "negligence and carelessness'' in the May 12 derailment that killed eight people and injured more than 200. Fonseca's attorney, Bruce Nagel, says he suffered broken bones and head trauma and is still hospitalized in Philadelphia. Four passengers have also sued Amtrak, which has said it doesn't comment on pending litigation.

In 1997 Congress passed a law which caps the maximum lawsuit payout over a single rail incident at $200M. It's expected that Philadelphia crash settlements will hit that liability ceiling very quickly.

RELATED: The top Google result for "Amtrak crash."

Amtrak Resumes NYC-Philly Service

Via the New York Times:

Amtrak trains began rolling on the busy Northeast Corridor early Monday, the first time in almost a week following a deadly crash in Philadelphia, and officials vowed to have safer trains and tracks while investigators worked to determine the cause of the derailment. Amtrak resumed service along the corridor with a 5:30 a.m. southbound train leaving New York City. The first northbound train, scheduled to leave Philadelphia at 5:53 a.m., was delayed and pulled out of 30th Street Station at 6:07 a.m. About three dozen passengers boarded the New York City-bound train in Philadelphia, and Mayor Michael Nutter was on hand to see the passengers and train off. All Acela Express, Northeast Regional and other services were to also resume.

NTSB Asks FBI To Investigate Whether Amtrak Crash Train Was Hit By Bullet

Via the Hill:

An Amtrak train that crashed outside of Philadelphia this week may have been the target of an attack. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Friday that the FBI had been called in to investigate the possibility that the train was hit by a bullet or some other object. According to the NTSB, an assistant conductor in the train’s café car claimed to have overheard a regional train engineer saying he had been “hit by a rock or shot at.” Inspectors reviewing the scene of the crash have “seen damage to the left hand lower portion of the Amtrak windshield,” an NTSB member said on Friday, prompting the FBI’s involvement.

Airlines Accused Of Price Gouging As Amtrak Continues Service Suspension

Via the New York Times:

A check of Delta Air Lines fares at La Guardia Airport at 10 a.m. on Thursday found that a ticket on the 12:30 p.m. shuttle to Washington could be found — for $2,309. But a ticket on the noon shuttle cost $554. Even under ordinary circumstances, airfares can seem something of a mystery, but veteran travelers said that Thursday’s price swings were more extreme than anything they could recall. George Hobica, the founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, said that while buying a ticket on the same day of travel is always the most expensive option, the fare increases on Thursday were extreme. By raising fares as demand grew, he said, the airlines were “making hay while the sun is not shining.” Fares for Friday shuttles, typically around $250 for a one-way ticket from New York to Washington, cost nearly twice that much if purchased Thursday.

Via The Hill:

A Democratic senator is suggesting that airlines might be gouging passengers with high prices for flights in the Northeast after a deadly Amtrak crash near Philadelphia this week. Reports of high fares “raise questions about whether airlines are increasing prices to unjustifiable levels after this week’s devastating train derailment in Philadelphia,” Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.) said Friday. “The airlines should know that they’re under the microscope as those in the Northeast struggle to cope with the fallout of the crash," he added. "I will follow up with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to ensure that airlines are not gouging travelers whose trains were cancelled.”

Amtrak says that limited service might resume by Tuesday. On Wednesday a House committee approved a Republican measure that would slash 2016 Amtrak funding by nearly $100M. Average weekday ridership on Amtrak's northeast corridor is about 120,000.

Sandy Rios: Engineer's Homosexuality Was A Factor In The Amtrak Train Crash

RELATED: World Net Daily is calling the engineer a "noted 'gay' rights activist." Noted, as in none of us ever heard of him until yesterday.

Amtrak Crash Engineer Is Openly Gay

Teabagistan is ablaze tonight after the engineer of the Amtrak train that crashed in Philadelphia was identified as Brandon Bostian, an openly gay man who campaigned against Prop 8 while living in San Francisco and for gay marriage after moving to New York. Via Heavy:

Brandon Bostian, 32, has been an engineer for Amtrak since December 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile. He previously worked for four years with the company as a conductor. Bostian, originally from Memphis, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2006 with a degree in business management and administration. He also worked as a cashier at Target while in college and previously lived in San Francisco. Bostian is gay and was quoted in a 2012 story by The Midtown Gazette about the fight for gay marriage in New York. He said he moved to New York from San Francisco and had been active in the Proposition 8 fight. “It’s kind of insulting to have to beg people for my right to marry,” he told the newspaper. “I feel like we shouldn’t even have to have this fight.” GotNews, which first reported his name, called him a “gay activist,” and many Twitter users have reacted negatively to his sexuality, claiming he may have been a “diversity” hire by the government-funded Amtrak.

GotNews is a far-right site run by the despicable Chuck C. Johnson, who is loathed even by some of his fellow wingnuts for his habit of trolling the victims of rape.

REPORT: Amtrak Train Was Traveling Twice Speed Limit At Time Of Crash

Via the Wall Street Journal:

An Amtrak train involved in a fatal crash here appears to have been traveling at more than 100 miles an hour as it entered a sharp curve where it derailed Tuesday night, killing at least six people, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation. The speed limit in that section of track drops to 50 miles per hour, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Investigators are focusing on the possibility that excessive speed was a factor in the derailment, one of these people said. The locomotive and all seven passenger cars of the train went off the tracks at a tight curve at Frankford Junction, north of Philadelphia city center. Multiple cars overturned, severely injuring some passengers and pinning others. Six people were killed and more than 200 were injured, including eight who were in critical condition.

Update On Amtrak Derailment

It's ten hours later and transit officials have not yet announced a cause for last night's Amtrak disaster in Philadelphia, which has claimed six lives at this writing. The crash occurred where the track curves through the Port Richmond neighborhood and it's the site of a 1943 train crash that killed 79 passengers. That crash remains one of the deadliest in US history. Amtrak issued a statement early this morning:

We are deeply saddened by the loss of life from Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 that derailed north of Philadelphia Tuesday evening. We ask the news media to be respectful of our customers, our employees, and their families. There were approximately 238 passengers and 5 crew members on board. Individuals with questions about their friends and family on this train should call the Amtrak Incident Hotline 800-523-9101. Amtrak has also established a Family Assistance Center to work closely with family and friends of individuals on the train. Local emergency responders are on the scene and an investigation is ongoing. On Wednesday, May 13, modified Amtrak service will be provided between Washington and Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and New York and Boston. There will be no Amtrak service between New York and Philadelphia, but New Jersey Transit will honor Amtrak tickets between New York City and Trenton.

Rail service may not resume between NYC and Philadelphia for several days.

RELATED: Shortly after the crash Donald Trump took to Twitter to declare that only he can fix the nation's crumbling infrastructure. Trump was immediately castigated as a crass opportunist by all sides, but especially on right wing sites where talk of infrastructure spending is akin to communism.

Amtrak Train Derails In Philadelphia

A New York City-bound ten-car Amtrak train out of Washington DC derailed tonight in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia. On board was former US Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), who is assisting the injured. No fatalities are being reported at this writing. The top photo above was taken by Murphy, who estimates that the train was "traveling 60-70 mph" at the time of the crash. This is just the latest in a rash of commuter rail disasters in the northeast in recent months. I'll update this post when more is known. Philadelphia's NBC affiliate is reporting live from the scene.

UPDATE: The number of fatalities now stands at six.

Another Passenger Train Derailment

Via Raleigh's CBS affiliate:

An Amtrak train derailed Monday in Halifax County at the intersection of U.S. Highway 301 and N.C. Highway 903. The Daily Herald in Roanoke Rapids reported that the train collided with a transfer truck, and the train's engine was on its side. The other cars remained upright. Charlotte Story, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was riding in the seventh car on the train, which was heading from Charlotte to New York. She said many people had what appeared to be minor injuries.

Today's incident is the latest in a recent spate of passenger and freight train derailments, some of which have resulted in explosions, deaths and many injuries.

Rail Service Suspended Indefinitely After Metro-North Commuter Train Crash

Commuters may face weeks of difficulty in getting to New York City after Friday's train collision, which left dozens injured.

Metro-North's New Haven Line service east of Fairfield -- and Amtrak's service between New York and Boston -- was suspended in the wake of the crash, and authorities said it could take two weeks or more before service resumes. The investigation is expected to run from seven to 10 days, the NTSB's Earl Weener said, and only after the investigation is complete can Metro-North crews begin the labor-intensive process of repairing the rails and the overhead catenary wires that provide power to the trains.

Metro-North's New Haven line alone has a monthly ridership of over three million. Grand Central may be a ghost town this week.

1000+ Flights Canceled For Blizzard

This afternoon major airlines announced the cancellation of over 1000 flights in advance of the arrival of tomorrow's nor'easter.

Already, as of 2:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, more than 1,000 U.S. flights have been canceled for Friday, according to FlightAware. The bulk of that total comes at Northeast airports that are likely to see severe weather. Among those is Newark Liberty, which tops the list with more than 490 of its Friday flights already canceled. United Airlines, which operates a major hub at Newark, has axed 365 mainline flights Friday as well as dozens of others operated by its regional affiliates, as of 3 p.m. ET. "We expect all the majors to have announced a significant chunk by this evening," FlightAware's Duell adds.

United, American, JetBlue and Delta have waived flight change fees at dozens of the affected airports.  Boston Mayor Tom Mennino has ordered the closing of public schools for tomorrow.  The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch for Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Long Island. Amtrak has cancelled some trains from Boston to Maine and local news reports that changes that affect service to New York City might be announced later today.

Via New York Times:

By the time the storm has passed through the New York area, sometime on Saturday, forecasters predict it will have dumped as much as a foot of snow in the area, while delivering blistering winds reaching 50 m.p.h., and flooding coastal areas. If the current models hold, the storm could rival the blizzard of 1978 in New England, when more than 27 inches of snow fell in Boston and surrounding cities. That storm, which occurred on a weekday, resulted in dozens of deaths and crippled the region for days. Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said more than 20 agencies had gathered at the agency’s operations center in Framingham, Mass., where they were preparing for a historic storm.

UPDATE: Boltbus has cancelled all service to Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston for tomorrow. Megabus has cancelled all service to Boston.

UPDATE II: The blizzard warning has been extended to include New York City.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning from 6 a.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Saturday, meaning major travel delays from the 35 mile-an-hour wind gusts, heavy snow and rain, said Joe Pollina, a weather service meteorologist. “The city could see anywhere from 10 to 12 inches of snow,” he said, with a dusting overnight Thursday changing to rain and snow Friday, and then back to heavy snow overnight and into Saturday. New Yorkers started stocking up on supplies and shovels ahead of the storm. “We’re selling out of everything. The most popular item is the trunk shovel that fits in your car,” said Katherine Wankel, whose family has owned an Upper East Side hardware store for 117 years. If everything falls the way it has the potential to it could be among the top 10 snowstorms in New England history, said meteorologist William Babcock.

UPDATE III: NYC government has issued an alert.

Amtrak Tests 165 MPH Trains

Amtrak says that last night it began testing trains at 165mph on the northeast corridor.

Two test locations — from Perryville, Md., to Wilmington, Del., and from Trenton to New Brunswick, N.J. — currently have a speed limit of 135 mph. The two others — in Rhode Island from Westerly to Cranston and in Massachusetts from South Attleboro to Readville — have 150 mph limits. The same areas, totaling just over 100 miles, were used for tests reaching 165 mph in the 1990s before the introduction of high-speed Acela service, Cole said. Federal regulations required another round of testing, he said, to further raise the top speed limit.

Ride The Gay-Friendly Rails

(Via Towleroad)

SATURDAY: Mooning Amtrak Day

Saturday is the annual Mooning of the Amtrak.

Train passengers can expect an eyeful Saturday as bare bottoms converge along the tracks at Camino Capistrano for the annual Mooning of the Amtrak. In recent years, the rowdy atmosphere surrounding the event has quieted down with an increased police presence, parking restrictions and ordinances against urination, defecation and drinking alcohol in public. In 2008, the 30-year tradition swelled to close to 10,000 revelers.

Afternoon View - Penn Station Amtrak

Milling about, milling about, milling about. Track number announcement. Mad dash for the gate where 500 people try to fit through a four-foot doorway at the same time. Always a shining moment for modern mass transit, truly.

Northeast To Benefit From FL Gov. Rick Scott's Rejection Of Rail Money

After Florida Gov. Rick Scott rejected billions in federal funding for high speed rail development, the feds invited other states to apply for the money. And as it turns out, the primary beneficiaries of Scott's short-sightedness will be commuters on Amtrak's northeast rail corridor.

The largest share of the money—nearly $800 million—will be used to upgrade train speeds from 135 mph to 160 mph on critical segments of the heavily traveled Northeast corridor, the department said in a statement. Another $404 million will go to expand high-speed rail service in the Midwest, including newly constructed segments of 110-mph track between Detroit and Chicago that are expected to save passengers 30 minutes in travel time. Nearly $340 million will go toward state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California and the Midwest. California will also get another $300 million toward trains that will travel up to 220 mph between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Two other GOP governors also rejected federal rail money.

Gays On A Train!

Last night the Rachel Maddow Show had a lot of fun with the Family Research Council's hissy fit about Amtrak's plan to advertise to teh gays.

(Via - Towleroad)

PhoboQuotable - Tony Perkins

"If there was ever proof that the Obama Administration has gone off the rails, it's Amtrak. For the first time in the train service's history, Amtrak has decided to spend a quarter-million dollars recruiting homosexual passengers. As you may know, Amtrak isn't a private business. This is a government-run business, meaning that this $250,000 is taken directly from taxpayers' pockets.

"In a very real sense, this ad campaign is a federal endorsement of homosexual behavior -- one of the most serious public health threats in America. Using taxpayer funds to promote this ad campaign is insulting to the millions of Americans who have deeply-held moral convictions against homosexuality. Yet Washington is targeting the demographically small homosexual population-probably because marketing surveys suggest it is also one of the richest. So let's be honest. This Administration is more interested in riding the gravy train than getting the culture back on track. Please contact senior officials at Amtrak and ask them to stop this campaign using your tax dollars!" - Family Research Council douchnozzle Tony Perkins, who has launched a petition campaign against Amtrak.

TAKE ACTION: Contact Amtrak's media office and thank them for reaching out to their LGBT customers.

Penn Station Shut Down

If you're traveling via Amtrak today, be advised that Amtrak and NJ Transit have temporarily suspended service to Penn Station due to an electrical problem. Check Twitter for updates. At the moment it looks like some trains are returning to New Jersey because they can't enter Penn. What a mess. Expect delays to ripple up and down the east coast all day.

UPDATE: The AP has issued a bulletin:

Amtrak power problems have halted trains and stranded commuters in and out of New York City. NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel said the low-voltage problem halted Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line and Midtown Direct trains into and out of New York's Penn Station. Some trains are stranded just outside Penn Station and others are stuck between Newark and New York City. Stessel said there is enough electricity to power the lights and heat on the trains, but not the engines. PATH trains and Port Authority buses are honoring NJ Transit rail passes.