NTSB Opens Public Docket on Montana Amtrak Crash
The docket for this investigation includes more than 3,100 pages of factual information, including reports on operations, mechanical, track and engineering, signal and train control, and crashworthiness/survival factors.
The NTSB will issue a final report at a later date that will include analysis, findings, recommendations, and probable cause determinations related to the derailment.
NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opened the public docket for its ongoing investigation of the Sept. 25, 2021, derailment of Amtrak’s Empire Builder passenger train near Joplin, Montana.
The docket for this investigation includes more than 3,100 pages of factual information, including reports on operations, mechanical, track and engineering, signal and train control, and crashworthiness/survival factors. The docket also includes interview transcripts, photographs, and other investigative materials.
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. The NTSB will issue a final report at a later date that will include analysis, findings, recommendations, and probable cause determinations related to the derailment.
The accident happened when a westbound Amtrak Train derailed five cars while in a right-hand curve on BNSF Railway Company main track. The train consisted of two locomotives and 10 cars. Three passengers died and 49 passengers and crew were injured.
The public docket for this investigation is available online at NTSB Docket.
More Rail
Metra Begins Drone Pilot Project to Boost Safety and Security
The project is funded through a $620,000 grant from FEMA’s Transit Security Grant Program, which provides transit agencies with funding for projects intended to protect critical transportation infrastructure and the traveling public.
Read More →
Austin Transit Partnership Selects Stadler to Manufacture Light Rail Vehicles
The award marks the conclusion of a series of major procurements over 18 months, as outlined in ATP’s delivery plan, and keeps Austin Light Rail on track.
Read More →
The Heart Behind Austin's Light Rail
Why Austin Transit Partnership's Operations and Maintenance Facility could become the most important building in the city's first light rail system.
Read More →
June LA Metro Ridership Surges 2 Million Year Over Year
Total June ridership increased for both weekdays and weekends. Weekday ridership was 953,820, which grew 8.4% from June 2025; Saturdays increased nearly 13% year-over-year to 708,826; and Sundays increased 7.7% to 611,534 from June 2025, according to LA Metro.
Read More →
Keolis and SNCF Voyageurs Bring Rail Expertise to California High-Speed Rail
The CDA establishes a collaborative predevelopment partnership intended to evaluate future delivery opportunities through public-private partnership models.
Read More →
Stadler Marks 10 Years in the U.S. with Salt Lake City Expansion
The expansion is expected to create up to 300 new local jobs, some of which are youth apprenticeships, said Stadler officials.
Read More →
MBTA Selects STV to Support Battery-Electric Locomotive Procurement
The firm's seven-year contract includes end-to-end support from bid review and selection through procurement, production, and testing.
Read More →
Executive Order Aims to Improve Transit Access Across California
The order directs state agencies to streamline transit project delivery, improve coordination, and expand access to bus and passenger rail services across California.
Read More →
California High-Speed Rail Advances Merced–Madera Construction Procurement
The procurement represents a major expansion of active high-speed rail construction.
Read More →
Amtrak Finalizes Pre-Development Agreement for Penn Station Overhaul
The agreement advances plans for a $7 billion to $8 billion transformation of New York's busiest transit hub, with construction expected to begin by the end of 2027.
Read More →