Members of Amtrak's customer care team have arrived at a location 25 miles north of Jackson, Miss., in response to the derailment of the City of New Orleans on Tuesday evening. The team is on hand to provide assistance for passengers, including accommodations, clothing, transportation and communication.
The northbound City of New Orleans, train #58, derailed Tuesday at approximately 6:35 p.m. CDT near Flora, Miss., on tracks owned, operated and maintained by Canadian National/Illinois Central Railway (CNIC).
There were 73 persons aboard the train at the time of the derailment - 61 passengers and 12 crewmembers.
Injured passengers were taken to six area medical facilities. Most were treated and released; four persons were admitted. Amtrak has confirmed one passenger fatality.
The train consisted of one engine, one baggage car, seven passenger cars and one unoccupied passenger car in transit. Preliminary reports from the scene indicate that all nine cars derailed, with the first seven of them coming to rest on their sides. The locomotive remained on the track.
Amtrak has established a toll-free number with information for friends and relatives of passengers on the train - 1-800-523-9101.
The southbound City of New Orleans, train #59, which departed Chicago Tuesday evening, will terminate in Memphis with passengers bused to points south. Passengers scheduled to travel north on Wednesday aboard train #58 will be bussed to Memphis where they will board the train to Chicago.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead an investigation into the cause of the derailment. Members of the NTSB are expected to arrive at the scene this morning.