Amtrak speed control system installed but wasn’t turned on

By Susan Ferrechio
Published May 14, 2015 10:59pm ET
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Amtrak speed control system installed but wasn’t turned on
In this aerial photo, emergency personnel work at the scene of a deadly train wreck, Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in Philadelphia. Federal investigators arrived Wednesday to determine why an Amtrak train jumped the tracks in a wreck that killed at least six people, and injured dozens. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) | Patrick Semansky

Amtrak had installed the “Positive Train Control” system on the track where a speeding train fatally crashed Tuesday, but the system was not switched on.

The system could have automatically slowed the Amtrak 188, but instead it jumped the rails, killing 8 people and injuring more than 200.

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Amtrak Budgets and Deficits Congress Derailments PennAve Philadelphia PoliticsToday Railroads Susan Ferrechio