posted
Ok what about weather? Like if it snow, ice, rain and storms..is the train still safe in those conditions?
Posts: 22 | From: California | Registered: Nov 2003
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Train travel is by far one of THE ABSOLUTE SAFEST means of mass public transportation out there in these great United States of America. Yes, in ANY TYPE OF WEATHER, night or day, cross country, cross a bridge, cross the river and through the mighty canyons, or just cross your home state, the train will get you there in comfort. Go AMTRAK and see the United States!
[This message has been edited by dmwnc1959 (edited 12-17-2003).]
Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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Trains do not have to see where they are going and they do not have weather related traction problems. Hundreds of tons of weight on the tracks makes ice and snow irrelevant.
In very very rare cases, very extreme weather will delay a train, such as: very extreme hot or cold temperatures that expand or contract the rails, winds over 100 mph, several feet of snow, or intense rains that can cause mudslides or washouts. The routes you are taking have little liklihood of any of these. If they do occur they will not take any chances so there is no danger.
To my knowledge there has never been a weather related accident in the history of Amtrak.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote:Originally posted by TwinStarRocket: To my knowledge there has never been a weather related accident in the history of Amtrak.
I can think of one where the weather was a contributing factor, but in that case, the problem was definitely not the weather's effect on the train, as the original poster was asking about.
(The Sunset Limited accident in 1993, in which a barge hit a railroad bridge, happened in part due to the foggy conditions present that night...but the fog was a problem for the tugboat crew, not the train.)
Posts: 112 | From: North Hollywood, California | Registered: Mar 2002
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There have been train accidents due to washouts that occur after cloudbursts. Vermont in 1984; SW Chief in AZ in mid-90s.
Posts: 874 | From: South Bay (LA County), Calif, USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Why place a photograph of an accident in a post initiated by someone that is nervous about train travel? And not just any train accident, but one that depicts his/her concern. Geez!
Posts: 26 | From: New York | Registered: Aug 2003
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