(The following article by Robery A. Cronkleton was posted on the Kansas City Star website on February 10.)
KANSAS CITY — An Amtrak train carrying as many as 115 passengers derailed Monday morning near the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad’s Argentine yard in Kansas City, Kan.
Dan Stessel, a spokesman for Amtrak in Washington, D.C., said nine cars of the eastbound Southwest Chief, traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago, derailed about 7:30 a.m. near 14th Street and Metropolitan Avenue. Only one of the derailed cars was carrying passengers.
The train was traveling at a relatively low speed, Stessel said, and was not exceeding 25 mph.
Amtrak didn’t have the number of passengers on board at the time of the derailment, but 115 passengers had reservations. The train had a crew of 13.
No one was admitted to an area hospital from the scene. However, one passenger later reported back pains, and five crew members reported minor injuries. The cause of the derailment is under investigation. It occurred on tracks owned, operated and maintained by Burlington Northern.
Steve Forsberg, Burlington Northern’s general director of public affairs, said the derailment blocked the railroad’s two main lines.
The railroad used cranes on each side of the derailed cars to lift them into place on the track, he said. The cars were back on the track by 10 a.m., allowing the railroad to open one of the main lines. The other main line was to open later Monday.
The train had left Los Angeles Saturday evening and was due in Chicago Monday afternoon. The train was on the move at 9:15 a.m. and arrived at Union Station about 10 a.m.
The train had four engines, followed by a baggage car, a crew dorm, two sleeping cars, a dining car, a lounge car, two passenger coaches, two empty passenger coaches and eight mail and express box cars.
The second passenger coach, the two empty passenger coaches and six mail and express box cars derailed, but remained upright and in line.