Injuries and fatalities, 2000-2014
Deaths
of 224 deathsInjuries
of 2,228 injuriesKilled and injured on and by Amtrak trains
In more than 2,000 accidents since 2000, Amtrak has had at least 222 deaths (records are still being collected for the most recent years) and more than 2,200 deaths. The greatest bulk of injures are to passengers, but deaths are most likely to be in people who are hit by trains. Passenger service has increased since 2008, lowering the rate of accidents per traveler mile.
Derailments and collisions with vehicles
Derailments are Amtrak's most common kind of accident, but not the deadliest.
Derailments
Derailments happen most often on the heavily traveled routes near major cities, especially in the Northeast Corridor. But they cause relatively few deaths — only six since 2000 before Tuesday's crash in Philadelphia. Maps shows the location of 447 major Amtrak derailments.
Vehicle collisions
Trains are more likely to hit cars and trucks away from the large cities, where tracks are usually isolated from traffic. In rural areas, train-crossing collisions claim many more lives. Maps shows the location of 376 train-auto crashes. Older accidents lack detailed location data.
Editor's picks
What it was like moments after the wreck
Passengers described screams, darkness and falling debris in one of Amtrak's worst derailments in years.