Amtrak suffers 3 wrecks in 1 week, while Russia modernizes its own railways

The Duran reported on Monday about the increased frequency of Amtrak train accidents within the US’ antiquated train network, when news struck on Tuesday that a high speed Acela train broke apart while traveling north on its way towards Penn Station in New York at the speed of 125 mph.

The third Amtrak wreck to occur in the span of a week, multiple cars of the Acela Express, traveling from Washington, DC, decoupled around 6:30 a.m., being held together by only their air hoses.

The dragging cables sparked along while the train recklessly jolted about. Luckily, none of the 52 passengers on board were reported injured. One person said “Someone could have been walking through the train when that happened and fell to their death.”

Around 50 miles north of Baltimore, the train broke apart, leaving a six foot gap between the separated cars. Journalist Andrew Exum, 39, said “It felt almost like we were dragging something, I looked out the window and saw a shower of sparks coming out the side of the train… the train came to a halt and the Amtrak folks rushed forward. I could tell by their faces that this was serious, and that we weren’t going anywhere.”

The crew attempted to fix the issue before evacuating quiet and first class passengers. “There were a lot of fumes and a little bit of smoke,” he said. “So we moved to the next car and just kind of waited. They powered down the train so we were literally in the dark for 30 minutes or so, maybe a little bit longer.”

The Troubled train service has experienced numerous crashes over the course of the past few weeks on both the eastern and western seaboards.

Some Amtrak regulars say they are now terrified to ride the trains.

“Seriously, how did riding the train get to be so hazardous?” mused Steve Rosen, 45, who had just arrived in Penn Station on an Amtrak train from Philadelphia. “Every time I ride Amtrak now, I utter a silent prayer that this train or this car or this conductor or this track won’t be one of the defective ones that ends my life.”

A rescue train eventually arrived and took the passengers to Philadelphia, where they continued on to New York City. Amtrak officials said they were still investigating the incident. “We are currently investigating the cause of the car separation, inspecting every Acela trainset, and taking any necessary actions to prevent a reoccurrence,” said Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams.

Meanwhile, as the antiquated American locomotive infrastructure continues to suffer funding and safety concerns, Russia has been investing a considerable amount into the train industry, modernizing its locomotive infrastructure throughout the world’s largest nation. Russian news correspondent shows the new trains that are being produced and the Russian president surveys their progress in the following video clip:

Putin discusses the future of the industry and the impact on the Russian economy below: