Investigators Say Poor Track Conditions Caused 2021 Amtrak Derailment in Montana That Killed 3

Workers stand near train tracks, next to overturned cars from an Amtrak train that derailed a few days prior near Joplin, Mont., on Sept. 27, 2021. Ted S. Warren/AP Photo

HELENA, Mont.—Poor track conditions that should have been flagged by a freight railroad company’s inspectors caused the derailment of an Amtrak train in Montana that killed three people and injured 49 others in 2021, federal investigators said Thursday in a final report.

The severity of the injuries were made worse by the Amtrak train’s lack of seatbelts and windows that weren’t strong enough to keep passengers from being ejected when the train derailed, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found.