Amtrak service disrupted by NC accident investigation

Amtrak service in North Carolina and Virginia is being disrupted by the investigation into a derailment on Monday that injured more than 50 passengers, the company said Tuesday. 

“Due to a railroad incident on March 9, northbound Amtrak service on the Carolinian route is disrupted on Tuesday, March 10,” Amtrak said in a statement. “Passengers scheduled to ride Train 80 between Raleigh, N.C. and Richmond, Va., (Staples Mill Station) will be accommodated on chartered buses between those points.” 

The accident involved a train that was traveling from Charlotte to New York that collided with a pickup truck in Halifax County, N.C., which is near the state’s northern border with Virginia. The crash is the latest in a series of accidents that have raised questions about the safety of U.S. railroad crossing intersections. 

{mosads}The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) promised Monday after the crash to conduct a “thorough investigation to determine the probable cause of how and why this highway-rail grade crossing was fouled. 

“Recent accidents like this one are stark reminders of our shared challenge to both educate the public about grade crossing safety, and to enforce appropriate behavior around railroad operations,” the agency said. 

Amtrak said Tuesday that service would continue on other parts of the Carolinian route, which includes parts of the company’s popular Northeast corridor routes, but it warned passengers to be prepared for delays due to the accident investigation. 

“Other Amtrak services through Rocky Mount, N.C., will operate subject to some delay,” the company said. “Amtrak regrets any inconvenience.”