Pa. Amtrak Train Sped Up Moments Before Crash, Officials Say

An investigation regarding the Amtrak train that crashed in Pennsylvania on Thursday night has found that the train reportedly sped up moments before the fatal crash that claimed eight lives.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced Thursday that Amtrak Train 188 accelerated before approaching the Frankford Junction curve, where it derailed as it took the curve at a speed of over 100 mph.

According to Philly.com, the train reportedly accelerated from 70 mph to 102 mph in just 65 seconds before the crash. The speed limit on the Frankford Junction curve is 50 mph.

The engineer of the train, 32-year-old engineer Brandon Bostian, has said through his attorney that he does not recall the crash, due to a concussion sustained during the crash. Bostian allegedly remembers reaching for his cell phone to call for help following the attack.

Some have suggested that the recent accident could have been avoided had a positive train control (PTC) system had been installed on the track. The system reportedly would have automatically slowed the train had in accelerated past a certain unacceptable speed.

Joseph Boardman, Amtrak's president and chief executive officer, said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the PTC system was not installed on the track carrying Amtrak Train 188 because the track's speeds did not fluctuate significantly.

Boardman said in an interview that "that train would have gone around the curve at 80 [the limit for the preceding track section]. It would not have come off."