2015 Philadelphia train derailment facts for kids
The 2015 Philadelphia train derailment was a train accident that happened on May 12, 2015. An Amtrak train, called Northeast Regional No. 188, went off its tracks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This area is known as Port Richmond.
The train was traveling from Washington, D.C. to New York City. It derailed, meaning it left the rails, at 9:23 pm. When it derailed, some of the train cars fell onto their sides.
This accident sadly caused the death of eight people. More than 200 other people were also injured.
Investigating the Train Accident
After the accident, different groups started to investigate what happened. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) looked into the event. They said there was no evidence that the derailment was caused by terrorism.
A special team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also investigated. The NTSB is a government agency that studies accidents to find out why they happened. They work to prevent similar accidents in the future.
The person driving the train was Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian. He was injured in the accident. He later said he could not remember what happened during the derailment.
Images for kids
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Aerial view of the derailed train
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ACS-64 locomotive 601 led the train that derailed.
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The virtually empty Amtrak waiting area of New York Penn Station on May 14 as dozens of trains were cancelled between Philadelphia and New York
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NTSB investigators arrive on the scene of the derailment
