Heat-Bent Rails Spill Train; 160 Hurt

SACO, Mont. — Thirteen passengers and an Amtrak employee remained hospitalized Saturday after a 12-car derailment that was blamed on track warped by nearly 100-degree heat.

The train, en route from Chicago to Seattle, was traveling at 79 m.p.h. when it left the track Friday. At least five of the nine passenger cars turned over and people were thrown from their seats, causing 160 injuries, authorities said.

Sue Martin of Amtrak in Washington said that 149 of those injured were treated at hospitals and released, and Amtrak had arranged to get the passengers to their destinations.

The train was carrying about 375 passengers and a crew of perhaps 15, Amtrak officials said. The engineer said the derailment was caused by deformed rails near this farming community in northern Montana. A secondary track near the scene was cleared late Friday so that rail traffic could go through, Martin said, and crews were spending the weekend repairing the rails.