By Justin Franz

The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the fatal 2021 Empire Builder wreck in Montana is focusing on a section of misaligned rail, according to a trove of documents released this week. 

Amtrak’s westbound Empire Builder derailed shortly before 4 p.m. on September 25, 2021, near Joplin, Mont., about 50 miles west of Havre on BNSF Railway’s Hi-Line Subdivision. Three people were killed and dozens were injured. According to investigators, the train was traveling west at 75 to 78 miles per hour, just below the track’s 79 miles-per-hour speed limit for passenger trains. Eight cars derailed and four ended up on their sides. 

A still-frame from the in-cab camera showing the stretch of rail where the derailment occurred. 

On Tuesday, the NTSB released 3,100 pages of documents about the derailment, including photos and reports about the track conditions at Joplin, and interviews with the crew. The NTSB noted that the docket “contains only factual information collected by NTSB investigators; it does not provide the final report or a probable cause. No conclusions about how or why the derailment happened should be drawn from the information within the docket.” 

However, the documents do include images taken from the lead unit’s outward-facing cab camera that shows a misaligned rail — almost like a sun kink — on the curve where the train derailed.

A final report with analysis will be released in the coming months.