© AP Photo/Elaine ThompsonCars from an Amtrak train lay spilled onto Interstate 5 below alongside smashed vehicles as some train cars remain on the tracks above Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in DuPont, Wash.
The anarchist group "It's Going Down" last April bragged online about sabotaging railroad tracks in the Pacific Northwest to block fracking equipment from getting to its destination. The group has since deleted the post, possibly in reaction to today's Amtrak disaster.
This Antifa parody account has a screen grab of the post.
It's Going DownThe post continued:
4/20/17
Puget Sound Anarchists
Early in the morning of April 20th we poured concrete on the train tracks that lead out of the Port of Olympia to block any trains from using the tracks. We took precautions to notify BNSF (the train company) - we called them and we used wires to send a signal that the tracks were blocked. We did this not to avoid damaging a train, nothing would bring bigger grins to our faces, but to avoid the risk of injuring railway workers.
This action was done to disrupt the movement of trains carrying proppants used in natural gas fracturing. These train tracks are part of a system of pipelines, fracking wells, mines, clearcuts, control centers, fiberoptics, dams, highways and factories that cover the planet and are physical manifestations of a process that is destroying the ecosystems, cultures, and inhabitants everywhere. Behind this network of infrastructure there are politicians, CEOs and bureaucrats who have private security, cops, prison guards, non-profit directors, PR consultants and the legacy of 500 years of colonization to back them up. We oppose all of these manifestations, infrastructural, personal and ideological. We blocked the train tracks because we want to blockade the entire web of domination that is slowly killing us.Anti-fracking activists and anarchists have been blocking rail tracks in Olympia, Washington, for the past month.
On Nov. 30, an anonymous anarchist wrote about rail sabotage on the Puget Sound Anarchist website.
A few days ago, inspired by the Olympia train Blockade, we used copper wire to signal a blockage and disrupt rail traffic near Medford Oregon. Railways are easily accessible and everywhere. Sabotage is fun and easy.PJM will bring you more details as they become available.
-some more anarchists
To derail a train, is (despite the claims being made) a difficult thing to do. Ask the military who tried countless means/ways during WW 2 of derailing and sabotaging the enemies rail systems, and in those days, the rails did not weigh what they do today, neither did the use concrete sleepers or continual welded rail.
The Achiles spot I would say, for potentially derailing a train would be within the signaling systems which are computer controlled and could possibly be hacked. However, if that were to happen, the evidence would be easily traced and verified.
The REAL reason this train derailed is because of the lack of maintenance of the system, something endemic within U.S. Government today.
However, in all fairness, Obuma did recognise this and actually legislated to resolve the issue. Then Trump came to power and struck out that legislation. So, if the media needs a scape goat, it need look not further than it's current Administration.