Michigan Amtrak train derailment probe to take months, feds say

From the Detroit Free Press:

Firefighters inspect the scene of a train derailment just North of Niles on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. / AP PHOTO

Federal officials expect their investigation into a southwestern Michigan train derailment that injured about a dozen people to take six months to a year.

National Transportation Safety Board railroad investigator Michael Flanigon spoke today at a news conference in nearby South Bend, Ind.

WSBT-TV reports he says there are measurements to take, interviews to conduct and electronic data that needs to be analyzed before a determination of the cause can be made.

The Amtrak train was traveling from Chicago to Pontiac on Sunday when two of its locomotives and one or more coaches derailed. It happened near Niles, just north of the Indiana state line.

Amtrak says none of the injuries were considered serious or life-threatening. The train was carrying about 174 passengers and four crew members.

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20121022/NEWS06/121022024/Michigan-Amtrak-train-derailment-probe-to-take-months-feds-say