FBI Finds No Evidence Of Amtrak Damage From Firearm, NTSB Says

Updated at 5:14 p.m.

An FBI examination of the windshield of the Amtrak train that derailed last week in Philadelphia, killing eight people, has found no evidence of damage that could have been caused by a firearm, the National Transportation Safety Board says.

But, the agency said in a statement, "The NTSB has not ruled out the possibility that another object may have struck the windshield."

As we reported May 15, one of the assistant conductors on Amtrak Train 188, traveling between Washington and New York, told investigators that just prior to the crash she heard a radio transmission from the train's engineer that the locomotive had been struck.

At the time, NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt said the agency had seen damage to the left-hand lower portion of the Amtrak's windshield. The engineer has no memory of what happened after the train passed North Philadelphia station. The NTSB says the train was traveling at 106 mph when it made the turn rated for 50 mph.

Commuter service between Philadelphia and New York City had been halted for a week after the derailment. But on Monday morning, trains began rolling. The Associated Press reports:

"Amtrak resumed service along the corridor with a 5:30 a.m. southbound train leaving New York City. The first northbound train, scheduled to leave Philadelphia at 5:53 a.m., was delayed and pulled out of 30th Street Station at 6:07 a.m.

"About three dozen passengers boarded the New York City-bound train in Philadelphia, and Mayor Michael Nutter was on hard to see the passengers and train off.

"All Acela Express, Northeast Regional and other services were to also resume."

Amtrak President & CEO Joe Boardman said in a statement: "The safety of our passengers and crew remains our number one priority. Our infrastructure repairs have been made with the utmost care and emphasis on infrastructure integrity including complete compliance with Federal Railroad Administration directives."