(The following article by Bob Withers was posted on the Huntington (WVa.) Herald-Dispatch website on January 27.)
HUNTINGTON, Ky. — Amtrak’s New York-Chicago Cardinal passenger train derailed at Garrison, Ky., early Thursday morning shortly after making its regular stop in Huntington.
No injuries were reported.
The second and third of the train’s three coaches jumped the track but remained upright. The derailment didn’t affect the locomotive, the first coach, the dinette car or the sleeper behind the coaches. The 71 passengers aboard were bused to destinations between Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Chicago.
Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said the train was traveling at less than 10 miles an hour because a CSX Transportation dispatcher had just given the crew permission to pass a red signal at restricted speed, a common operating practice.
The accident took place 59 miles west of Huntington in Lewis County, Ky. The train also had stopped in Ashland and South Shore, Ky., between its Huntington stop and the site of the accident.
Workers from Hulcher Services Inc.’s Ona plant rerailed the cars and reopened the track by 11 a.m. Thursday.
Magliari blamed the accident on a track defect.