© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Amtrak Train Derails, Cars Roll In Philadelphia; At Least 5 Killed

Emergency personnel search through the wreckage of an Amtrak train that derailed Tuesday night in Philadelphia, killing at least five people who were on board.
Joseph Kaczmarek
/
AP
Emergency personnel search through the wreckage of an Amtrak train that derailed Tuesday night in Philadelphia, killing at least five people who were on board.

Update at 1:13 a.m. ET:

Officials have started the process of notifying families, it was announced at a press conference, though it wasn't certain if everyone on the train had been accounted for. The number of injured transported to the hospital was increased to 65, but the number of dead remained at five.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said some major work would have to wait until the morning, as operating some of the heavy machinery in the dark wouldn't be safe. The next press conference also likely will wait until late Wednesday morning, he said.

He also said he'd been in touch with the mayors of Washington and New York, the start and end points of the Amtrak train's trip. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, who recently had arrived in Philadelphia, said the state was working to provide anything needed.

Nutter said the accident likely would halt Amtrak and other service through the rail corridor, one of the busiest in the country, for the rest of the week.

Update at 11:38 p.m. ET:

Emergency personnel help an injured Amtrak passenger Tuesday night. At least 53 people from the train were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Joseph Kaczmarek / AP
/
AP
Emergency personnel help an injured Amtrak passenger Tuesday night. At least 53 people from the train were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

At least five people were killed in the crash, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said during a Tuesday night press conference. At least 53 injured were transported to area hospitals, including six critical injuries.

"It is an absolute disastrous mess," Nutter said of the wreckage. "Never seen anything like this in my life. ... We have train cars that are on their sides, ripped apart."

Mayor Nutter said there were a total of 243 people on the train, including five Amtrak employees. Amtrak has asked people looking for information on passengers to call 1-800-523-9101.

Nutter said 120 emergency personnel responded soon after the crash happened at about 9:38 p.m. ET, and a police official said about 200 police officers eventually responded. The first firefighters on the scene found two people under the train, an official told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The mayor said the National Transportation Safety Board is responding, Amtrak officials are on the scene and that he has been in touch with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.

Our original post continues:

A Washington, D.C., to New York Amtrak train has crashed and derailed in the Port Richmond area of Philadelphia, sending at least 22 passengers to local hospitals. Some cars appear to have rolled, and the train appears to have sustained serious damage.

Emma Jacobs, reporting for NPR, says Temple University Hospital and Jefferson University Hospital each have received at least 10 patients, while Hahnemann University Hospital has received two and is expecting more.

Amtrak has announced that all service tonight between New York and Philadelphia has been canceled; SEPTA regional train service between Philadelphia and Trenton is also canceled.

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy reported on Twitter that he was on the train — which The Associated Press reports was entering a curve at the time of the crash — and assisting injured passengers, and that he himself was unhurt.

Emergency personnel work the scene of the wreck of the Amtrak passenger train. All train service between Philadelphia and New York has been shut down following the crash.
Joseph Kaczmarek / AP
/
AP
Emergency personnel work the scene of the wreck of the Amtrak passenger train. All train service between Philadelphia and New York has been shut down following the crash.

Tom MacDonald of member station WHYY described the scene:

"The train is laying on its side; in some spots there are actually I-beams through the train ... there is definitely lots of damage."

MacDonald reports that firefighters are working to clear possible live wires from the wreckage.

Eight to 10 cars were involved in the derailment, and dozens of passengers may be injured, Fox News and NBC reported. MSNBC, citing Amtrak, reports there were about 240 people on board.

Passenger Beth Davidz told Fox News that some of the walking wounded were loaded into police wagons for transport to the hospital.

An AP manager who was on the train told the wire service that the crash was preceded by rapid deceleration, followed by violent shaking.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content