The emergency response in Philadelphia was remarkable. It was obvious the emergency responders knew exactly what they were doing. The press was a bit annoyed they could not get information as soon as possible to the public and I appreciate that, Lawrence O'Donnell could not be more centered on bringing information to the public, but they had their hands full. I know this sounds odd,but, to realize the information was slow in coming to the public was to realize how busy the emergency responders were and putting their priorities straight.
1. INVESTIGATION STARTS (click here) AFTER AMTRAK TRAIN DERAILS IN PHILADELPHIA, KILLING AT LEAST 5
More than 140 people are taken to hospitals, and six are critically injured by the derailment whose scene Mayor Michael Nutter describes as “an absolute disastrous mess.”...
The infrastructure needs to be addressed. The rails along the eastern corridor is chronically in use. The trains and the rails rarely cool down. It is time to take the need for this type of transportation seriously and address the needs and safety of the people.
Sincerest sympathy to all those that have lost family to this accident.
...It's true: (click here) Compared with the high-speed trains of Western Europe and East Asia, American passenger rail is notoriously creaky, tardy, and slow. The Acela, currently the only "high-speed" train in America, runs at an average pace of 68 miles per hour between Washington and Boston; a high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona averages 154 miles per hour. Amtrak's most punctual trains arrive on schedule 75 percent of the time; judged by Amtrak's lax standards, Japan's bullet trains are late basically 0 percent of the time.
And those stats don't figure to improve anytime soon. While Amtrak isn't currently in danger of being killed, it also isn't likely to do more than barely survive. Last month, the House of Representatives agreed to fund Amtrak for the next four years at a rate of $1.4 billion per year. Meanwhile, the Chinese government—fair comparison or not—will be spending $128 billion this year on rail. (Thanks to the House bill, though, Amtrak passengers can look forward to a new provision allowing cats and dogs on certain trains.)...
1. INVESTIGATION STARTS (click here) AFTER AMTRAK TRAIN DERAILS IN PHILADELPHIA, KILLING AT LEAST 5
More than 140 people are taken to hospitals, and six are critically injured by the derailment whose scene Mayor Michael Nutter describes as “an absolute disastrous mess.”...
The infrastructure needs to be addressed. The rails along the eastern corridor is chronically in use. The trains and the rails rarely cool down. It is time to take the need for this type of transportation seriously and address the needs and safety of the people.
Sincerest sympathy to all those that have lost family to this accident.
...It's true: (click here) Compared with the high-speed trains of Western Europe and East Asia, American passenger rail is notoriously creaky, tardy, and slow. The Acela, currently the only "high-speed" train in America, runs at an average pace of 68 miles per hour between Washington and Boston; a high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona averages 154 miles per hour. Amtrak's most punctual trains arrive on schedule 75 percent of the time; judged by Amtrak's lax standards, Japan's bullet trains are late basically 0 percent of the time.
And those stats don't figure to improve anytime soon. While Amtrak isn't currently in danger of being killed, it also isn't likely to do more than barely survive. Last month, the House of Representatives agreed to fund Amtrak for the next four years at a rate of $1.4 billion per year. Meanwhile, the Chinese government—fair comparison or not—will be spending $128 billion this year on rail. (Thanks to the House bill, though, Amtrak passengers can look forward to a new provision allowing cats and dogs on certain trains.)...
