Three Killed, Five Injured In Amtrak Train Derailment In Montana

Three people were killed and five injured when an Amtrak train bound for the Pacific Northwest derailed in a remote area of Montana Saturday afternoon.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder train 7/27 traveled from Chicago, headed for Seattle/Portland when eight cars derailed around 4 p.m. The incident happened near Joplin, Montana, a small town with a population of about 150.

According to Amtrak, there were 141 passengers on board, with 16 crew members. Injured passengers were treated at various hospitals in the area. The most critically injured passengers were flown for treatment. 

“We are deeply saddened to learn local authorities are now confirming that three people have lost their lives as a result of this accident,” Amtrak said in a statement. “There are also reported injuries among the passengers and crew members traveling on the train. Amtrak is working with the local authorities to transport those who were injured to medical care and to safely evacuate everyone else at the scene.”

Federal officials sent a “Go Team” from the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate. The derailment involved no other trains or equipment.

The accident site is about 30 miles from the Canadian border and 150 miles northeast of Helena.  

“I would describe the experience as kind of extreme turbulence on an airplane but louder, and there was kind of a lot of smoke smell,” passenger Megan Vandervest told CNN. “The first thought I really had when I woke up was, ‘Oh my God, we’re derailing.”

Vandervest told the outlet it took her about 10 minutes to evacuate. When she was off the train, she saw the extent of the damage. The car behind hers was slightly off the track, while the one behind that was entirely off the track and the one behind that was completely tipped over.