Amtrak Installs Speed Controls

As officials continue to investigate what caused the New York bound Amtrak train to de-rail last week, killing eight and injuring more than 200, the train company has installed speed controls that will prevent future incidents from happening. The mechanism, which forces trains to slow down, was only installed on the north-bound track due to the large drop in speed at the curve—110 mph maximum to 50mph maximum. “Had the train been operating at max authorized speed heading into the curve, it would not have come off the tracks,” Amtrak has said. The toppled train, which is believed to have been hit by an object, was going 106mph when it entered the curve.