Lawmakers grill Amtrak officials over deadly train crash

Lawmakers on Tuesday questioned Amtrak officials as to why they failed to implement the automatic train control technology - a technology which slows trains travelling at fast speeds - before the deadly derailment that killed eight people and injured more than 200 others outside of Philadelphia last month.

No mechanical problems have been detected in the train systems, Fox News reports. 

At the congressional hearing, Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman became emotional when he talked about the crash, admitting responsibility over the incident and its consequences. 

Boardman said the positive train control technology could have helped prevent the train from speeding.

The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary investigation report shows that the train was moving at a speed of 106 mph when it left Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. The train then ignored the speed restriction of 50 mph when entering a left turn which led to the derailment of the train. However, the summary provided no new information on the cause of the crash.

The report said investigators have found no anomalies with the train braking systems, signals, and track geometry.

During the hearing, Federal Railroad Administration head Sarah Feinberg said that the cause of the train derailment has not officially been determined. However she pointed that the mishap may have happened due to "human factor".

A leading Amtrak critic, Rep. John Mica, said installation of automatic train control technology has been slowed by the actions of the Federal Communications Commission, which has been slow to grant railroads the radio spectrum they need to make the systems work.

The House Transportation Committee hearing comes two weeks after a Northeast Corridor train derailed outside Philadelphia.

The Amtrak engineer, Brandon Bostian, who suffered a head injury, told the Committee he does not recall the crash.

NTSB is examining the engineer's cell phone and records to find out whether or not he was actively using his cell phone at the time of the train mishap.