21. Amtrak did not have an effective system of apprising passengers of safety features, and some passengers were unaware of safety information
22. Because Amtrak did not equip its passenger cars with portable lighting, passengers were at a disadvantage in evacuating the train
23. Emergency responders were at a disadvantage because they were unable to obtain an adequate passenger and crew list from Amtrak until the next day
24.If the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency had held drills to simulate a train accident, the incident commander may have known about Amtrak's procedures for accounting for passengers, and CSXT may have had the correct telephone number for the Coast Guard
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes of Amtrak train 2's derailment were the displacement of the Big Bayou Canot railroad bridge when it was struck by the MAUVILLA and tow as a result of the MAUVILLA's pilot becoming lost and disoriented in the dense fog because of (1) the pilot's lack of radar navigation competency, (2) Warrior & Gulf Navigation Company's failure to ensure that its pilot was competent to use radar to navigate his tow during periods of reduced visibility; and (3) the U S Coast Guard's failure to establish higher standards for inland towing vessel operator licensing. Contributing to the accident was the lack of a national risk assessment program to determine bridge vulnerability to marine vessel collision.
