An Amtrak train carrying 186 passengers bound for the San Francisco Bay Area derailed in Moorpark, Ventura County, after colliding with a truck, leaving 16 people injured. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Coast Starlight train, which was en route from Los Angeles to its end destination in Seattle, derailed at approximately 11:18 a.m. on Wednesday, about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Three train cars came off the tracks and fifteen individuals sustained minor injuries, while the truck driver was taken to a trauma center. The driver of the truck was on the tracks providing dust control at the time of the accident, per ABC7 News.
HAPPENING NOW: Passengers are stranded after several Amtrak train cars derail after a collision with a truck in Moorpark. pic.twitter.com/sI6Ud7yTen
— KCAL News (@kcalnews) June 28, 2023
Frequency of train derailments in California is shockingly high for anybody unfamiliar, with 334 trains derailing since the beginning of 2021, as noted in a Mercury News article from February 2023. The growing number of derailments is a cause for concern among residents living near train tracks, as hazardous materials are often transported by train through densely populated areas, and derailments can potentially lead to dangerous chemical spills or fires.
A notable derailment occurred in Contra Costa County on March 21, 2023, when a downed tree caused an Amtrak train to derail near Martinez, as reported by CBS San Francisco. Although no injuries were reported in that incident, it serves as a reminder that train derailments can happen suddenly and without warning.
#Gabbert UPDATE ~190 passengers appear uninjured. Amtrak train 14, Coast Star Light. One person transported via ambulance to a local hospital. A goal of 4 passengers are transported with bumps and scrapes - all minor injuries. pic.twitter.com/UTZ0QqQ3W5
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) June 28, 2023
Industry officials argue that trains are the safest way to transport hazardous materials compared to alternative modes of transportation like trucks, which have a higher accident rate. However, it is clear that the risks associated with train derailments cannot be ignored, especially with the increasing number of derailments in California. According to the same Mercury News article, some derailments have even resulted in hazardous material spills.
Union Pacific and BNSF, two of the nation's largest rail companies, have consistently opposed attempts to increase regulations regarding the transportation of hazardous materials. Despite this resistance, calls for improved safety measures and regulatory oversight are likely to grow in response to the rise in train derailments, especially those resulting in chemical spills or fires.
