Cause Of ‘Minor’ Amtrak Derailment Under Investigation

Authorities Monday sought the cause of what was described as the “minor” derailment near Palm Springs of an Amtrak train carrying 188 passengers.

One man suffered a minor back injury when the Sunset Limited — heading to New Orleans — derailed at 5:52 p.m. Sunday, said Amtrak spokesperson Vernae Graham.

Wheels on two cars of the nine-car train “lost contact” with the track, but all of the cars remained on the track, Graham said.

“The derailment was minor,” Graham said. “Any time a wheel leaves the track, it’s called a derailment.”

One passenger was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs after complaining of back pain. There were no other reported injuries.

The rest of the passengers were provided with alternate transportation or were reimbursed for their tickets, she said.

Ninety-one passengers bound for Arizona were bused to their destination, and the remaining 97 were bused back to Los Angeles were they were either refunded or put on a later train, according to Graham.

The derailment did not cause any delays on the main track, she said.”Everything is back to normal,” Graham said.

The derailment is being investigated by Amtrak and the Union Pacific railroad, which owns the tracks, said Graham.