PHILADELPHIA—Eight months after a deadly Amtrak derailment, federal investigators are poised to release evidence and reports that could help clear up the mystery of why the train streaked into a sharp curve at double the speed limit.
The release, expected Monday, will be the first major development in the investigation since a preliminary report a few weeks after the May 12 crash in which the National Transportation Safety Board pinpointed excessive speed as a key factor. A final report isn’t expected for months.
The train was accelerating out of an 80 mph speed zone when it should have been slowing to 50 mph for the coming curve, investigators said. It reached 106 mph just before the engineer activated emergency brakes.
David Hernandez, who lives near the tracks, said the crashing train sounded like shopping carts smashing together.
“They go so fast up there,” Hernandez said.
But why, with more than 300 northbound Amtrak trains safely navigating the curve every week and scores more from Philadelphia’s commuter rail, did Train 188 speed to a derailment that left eight dead and more than 200 injured?
In the absence of an official conclusion, several theories have emerged.
