NTSB: Train Going 106 MPH In 110 MPH Zone

CHESTER, Pa. (WJZ)— Federal investigators say the Amtrak passenger train that crashed into a backhoe on a track near Philadelphia was going 106 mph in a 110 mph zone before the fatal collision.

Mike Hellgren has more.

An inspection of the locomotive and its maintenance records found no problems. The cause is likely a miscommunication: human error.

"The video shows there was construction equipment on the track. We're still gathering facts on that information as to who had the authority to be on that track," said NTSB investigator Ryan Frigo.

Publishing mogul Steve Forbes was among those on board.

"There appeared to be smoke. Suddenly, you were stopping, this was not normally slow down, going around a curve or something.  It was a matter of nano-seconds," he said.

Investigators have recovered the train's data recorder and say the engineer did hit the emergency brake before the crash. Two people died, including the backhoe operator and a railroad supervisor. The derailment injured more than 30 people.

"All you could see was a lot of dirt and debris flying past the train. And then there was a couple of fire flashes," said Beth Blakely, a passenger visiting family in Maryland.

This is Amtrak's second deadly derailment in less than a year along the busy northeast corridor.

Last May, a speeding Amtrak train left the tracks nearby killing eight people, including three with ties to Maryland.

Since then, Amtrak has installed a system called Positive Train Control (PTC) that slows speeding trains. It's also part of the investigation in the latest derailment.

All Amtrak service on the Northeast Corridor has returned to normal.

Amtrak will be interviewing the crew tomorrow. The data recorder and video from the train is being inspected in Washington.