Freight Train Derails, Delays Amtrak Riders

About 1,000 Amtrak passengers traveling between San Diego and Los Angeles were delayed for more than an hour Thursday morning after four cars of a freight train derailed, officials said.

The accident occurred at about 5:45 a.m. as the 80-car train was leaving a rail yard on the Camp Pendleton Marine base. The cars derailed as the engineer stopped the train after learning that a man was beneath it, said Mike Martin, a spokesman for the Santa Fe Railway.

The man, Raymundo Marquez, 21, was transported by Life Flight helicopter to Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, where he underwent surgery for a foot injury. He was in fair condition Thursday evening, said hospital spokeswoman Jean Robinson.

Because both main-line and siding service were disrupted by the disabled train, which originated in San Diego, passengers on the five Amtrak trains that were delayed were bused between Oceanside and San Juan Capistrano to circumvent the accident, which occurred about 44 miles north of San Diego. The line was cleared at about 11 a.m.

The Barstow-bound freight, which included 37 cars loaded with military hardware, was traveling at less than 10 m.p.h. when a man, who apparently spoke only Spanish, jumped on the caboose and indicated that Marquez was under the train, Martin said.

Marquez gave both Oceanside and Mexico addresses.

When the train started up again, it was able to travel only about 150 feet before the emergency brake automatically stopped it because of the four derailed flatbed cars, which remained upright.

“It was a very slow derailment, (and) the wheels probably only moved a foot or two laterally,” Martin said.

There were no other injuries, and damage to the train amounted to less than $1,600, Martin said.

Cranes and other heavy equipment were brought in to lift the cars back onto the track.