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CNN Live Today

Investigators Examine Amtrak Accident

Aired July 30, 2002 - 12:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Just north of Washington, investigators are trying to figure out why Amtrak's Capitol Limited lurched off the rails, injuring more than 100 people.

CNN's Patty Davis joins us, now, from the scene -- Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the Amtrak double-decker cars have, now, all been up-righted on the tracks behind me, and it will either be rolled away or hauled away. Now, CSX, which owns these tracks is also here. It is looking to put in some track panels, at some point, that will allow the track bed to be opened, once again, to traffic.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. And investigators are looking into the heat as a possible major factor, here. It's called a heat kink or a sun kink that, possibly, could have bent these tracks causing the train to derail yesterday. One hundred sixty-one passengers, many of them injured, plus crew, but most of them just walked away from this crash, as those railcars were tossed around. Now, also, the NTSB looking into information they've gotten from the train's event recorder to help them figure out just what happened, here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL CARMODY, NTSB VICE CHAIRWOMAN: The event recorders told us the train was going about 60 miles an hour, at the time of the derailment. The position of the controls, after derailment, were normal. We saw what we expected to see. The brake had been engaged. There was nothing that we saw out of the ordinary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Now, they will also be looking at maintenance done along these tracks. Was that a factor, here? The investigator in charge from the NTSB saying, since September 11, the investigators always look at was there sabotage involved? In this case, he says, it appears that there was not -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Patty, one question to you. CSX, the company that owns and operates these tracks, also in charge of the maintenance. Has anyone from that company come out talked about the last time they inspected those tracks? DAVIS: Well, that's a good question. We know, in fact, that the answer to that is no. But we know, in fact, that the train, itself, was inspected before it left Chicago. So the CSX maintenance, the look at those tracks, that is something we'll have to get an answer to for you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. Patty Davis, live from Montgomery County, there.

Thanks, Patty.

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