Philadelphia Inquirer reporting investigators think train may have been going twice allowed speed...

[brooklynite]

Speed probed: Investigators are focusing on reports that the train may have been traveling at a speed of twice the 50 mph limit. A National Transportation Safety Board team arrived at the site Wednesday morning.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/live_chats/Live-coverage-Amtrak-crash-.html

This is consistent with a report from NBC last night (Amtrak was reportedly able to download data from the black box before it was physically recovered).

nb - Amtrak engines should all be equipped with "Positive Train Control" which is intended to govern and restrict train speeds.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Engineer has lawyered up already, left the scene with his lawyer.

That's telling.

[marym625]

3. I thought he was killed in the crash?

[brooklynite]

10. No, the engine was relatively unscathed.

[marym625]

11. Thank you

The first report I heard, early this morning, was he was dead. Obviously that was incorrect.

[upaloopa]

4. The engineer would do that no matter what the cause

It is not telling at all. The lawyer is most likely a union lawyer.

[Brickbat]

7. Correct.

[upaloopa]

2. I am not so sure it was speed that caused the crash

The bent in two car was the first car. The engine separated from it. It looks to me that the first car hit something and stopped abruptly separating it from the engine that kept going until it lost power from the overhead wires. The rest of the train pushed against the first car which was held in place thus bending it in two. The rest of the train then came off the tracks piling up behind the first car.
I think a rail broke or wheel and the first car dug into the roadbed.

[marym625]

5. Maybe both are true

[upaloopa]

6. My guess is we will be talking about how Congress

has not spent enough on infrastructure to keep the roadbed in repair.

[marym625]

9. or

They'll try to pin it on speed so they don't have to discuss infrastructure

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Authorities said speed limit was 50....they were going 107.

This is link for breaking news on the crash

http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/amtrak-derailment-in-philadelphia/

[elleng]

8. Think Congress would cover the cost of PTC???

[Puddy]

12. I agree ....

I'll bet the black box is going to show that speed and human error was at fault. This is usually the case in accidents like this.

[Agschmid]

13. How were they going 100 mph at that point?

I used to live in Philly and that's an insane speed for that area of track, I don't think I've ever seen it.