You're Welcome for the updates.
In my local newspaper's Sunday edition, they reported that it does appear to be a section of the track that caused the derailment. The train was doing 56 mph in a 60 mph zone and the lead engineer saw a 'buckle' in the tracks and activated the 'emergency stop system'. The lead engineer activated the system but it turns out that it was less than one second before the train encountered the first problems. An off duty engineer and a conductor also pulled the emergency stop levers independently while in their respective areas but after they heard and felt the train cars derailing.
It was reported that the 'buckle' that the lead engineer said he observed was approximately 10 inches long. He was in the lead engine at the time and there was a second engineer in the seat on the other side of the engine and he confirms the problem with the track.
All of the engineers are on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. They are also awaiting the results of mandatory drug tests and blood tests. The engineers have all passed breath tests given shortly after the derailment.
There was a freight train loaded with coal that had just used the tracks six minutes before the Auto Train tried to use them. The coal train was heavily loaded and was headed south. The track in that area has a banked turn that causes the tracks to suffer additional pressure.
CSX has made temporary repairs to the track and they have been inspected and approved by the Federal Railroad Administration as of Sunday morning. Slow moving freight trains are using the tracks and permanent repairs will be made as quickly as possible.
The names of the four victims have been released. Two were Snow Birds returning to their summer home in Ontario and two were vacationers returning to their separate homes in different parts of New York.
There are approximately 37 people still in various hospitals with injuries as a result of the derailment.
The official cause and the report from the National Transportation Safety Board have not been filed yet.
The link for the Orlando Sentinel (in my earlier posts) is still the best source that I know of for the news articles and a gallery of photos.
