Inaugural Run of Faster Amtrak Route Turns Deadly in Pierce County

Pierce County, WA – An Amtrak Cascades passenger train #501 derailed onto Interstate 5 on  early Monday morning during its inaugural run along a faster route through  Pierce County, Washington. Amtrak began using a new, faster  route between Tacoma and Olympia today as part of a project to reduce travel times, according to a statement released by the Washington State Department of Transportation in October of this year.

The Train left Seattle at 6:00 a.m. and was headed for Portland, Oregon.  The crash occurred around 7:30 a.m. at Mounts Road near the Pierce-Thurston County line.

The train derailment caused a multiple causality incident or MCI. Firefighters and medics transported seventy-seven people to hospitals in Pierce and Thurston Counties.  Four of the patients were considered critical according to a statement by CHI Franciscan Health healthcare network based out of Tacoma, WA.

Amtrak said approximately seventy-eight passengers and five crew members were aboard the train when it crashed.

The Piece County Sheriff’s Office confirms this is a fatality incident. The number of deceased was not released.  The investigation into the train derailment is expected to  impact traffic through the area for several days. Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes, including using the Washington State Ferry System.

Individuals with questions about their friends and family on this train should call (800) 523-9101.  Amtrak Cascades Train 504 and 509 have been cancelled but Amtrak says services from Seattle to points North and East are continuing to operate.

The investigation is ongoing and we will update you with the latest information as it becomes available.