Amtrak statement on its Facebook page:
AMTRAK TRAIN COLLIDES WITH NEBRASKA FARM VEHICLE
by Amtrak on Friday, August 26, 2011 at 11:30am
California Zephyr
CHICAGO -- At about 8:50 a.m. CDT, an agricultural vehicle obstructing the BNSF Railway Co., tracks caused an Amtrak train to become disabled near Benkelman, Neb., near the Nebraska-Kansas border.
There were no reports of life-threatening injuries to the estimated 178 passengers or the train’s crew. A small number of passengers have been taken to a local hospital.
Both of the train’s locomotives left the rails, along with three railcars. The remainder of the train remains upright and in line.
Train 6, the eastbound California Zephyr, was enroute from Emeryville, Calif., to Chicago, departing the San Francisco Bay area on August 24. Passengers are being taken from the scene to nearby a high school to be cared for and to be transported east to their destination.
Amtrak managers and representatives of BNSF, the track owner, are enroute to the scene,
We are saddened by any injury and appreciate the emergency response by local and state agencies. We ask the news media to be respectful of our customers, our employees and their families.
Persons with questions about their friends and family aboard this train have a special number to call for information: 800-523-9101.
