It was a messy scene on the morning of Sunday, April 7, 2013, according to the Associated Press as mud, rocks, and trees hit an Amtrak passenger train traveling through Washington state. Those obstructions caused several cars to derail, according to a spokesperson for the railway.
No injuries were reported in the mudslide that ended up knocking off the dining car and two coach cars from the Amtrak train. Gus Melonas, spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which owns the tracks, said that those cars were the last three on the train.
The Amtraik train that derailed was traveling south from Everett en route to Seattle, WA, when the slide came down around 8:30 a.m. The train began on Friday in Chicago, IL.
Luckily, none of the 11 crew or 86 passengers on board the train were injured as confirmed by Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.
After the three cars derailed, they were disconnected from the train. At that point, the passengers were taken on to Mukileteo, WA, where they were transferred to a bus bound for Seattle.
Mudslides have been a big problem in Washington state this winter and spring. They have caused the repeated closings of tracks for Amtrak trains, commuter and freight lines.
A freight train derailed on the very same stretch back in October.
“This has been one of the most problematic years we’ve faced, historically,” Melonas said. “It’s due to day after day after day of successive rainfall.”
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