A backhoe operator had a right to be on the tracks periodically on the weekend an Amtrak train slammed into it, killing the operator and a supervisor, federal crash investigators said Monday.
Amtrak has filed a federal lawsuit against a southwest Kansas feed yard, accusing it of gross negligence in relation to a train derailment that injured 28 passengers last month.
The engineer of an Amtrak passenger train applied the emergency brakes five seconds before it struck a backhoe sitting on the same track, killing the backhoe operator and a track supervisor, federal officials said.
Amtrak said its trains will run as regularly scheduled Monday, as federal officials investigate the deadly derailment outside Philadelphia after a train struck heavy equipment on the tracks.
Amtrak service was suspended Sunday morning between New York and Philadelphia after a train hit a backhoe on the tracks south of Philadelphia, killing two people, according to reports.
Pet owners often consider their dogs and cats full-fledged family members, and Amtrak is embracing that by expanding a pilot program that allows passengers to bring their small pets onto trains in the tri-state area.
An engineer noticed a significant bend in a rail and applied the emergency brakes before a passenger train derailed in western Kansas early Monday, an official said.