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(Information from Gene Poon and others on Trainorders.com)

Amtrak’s City of New Orleans train (NB #58) jumped its tracks in a swampy area of the Mississippi Delta, killing a 68-year-old passenger and injuring nearly 60 other people.

The nine-car train, traveling from New Orleans to Chicago, derailed Tuesday night (April 6, 2004 approximately 7pm) near the town of Flora, tumbling five or six feet off a trestle approximately 25 miles north of Jackson.

The entire train is reported derailed in an Amtrak advisory:

82 P42
1223 Baggage 32036 Sleeping Car/substitute for Dorm-Sleeper
38009 Dining Car
33013 Lounge Car
31592 Coach/Smoking
34069 Coach
34087 Coach
32005 Sleeping Car
34135 Coach, Deadhead from Beech Grove

Engine 82 up-right with baggage hanging over bridge. Rear car on rails. Head end felt "bump" immediately prior to derailment.

Cause of the wreck of the City of New Orleans, Train 58(06APR) is believed to be a 2 1/2 inch piece of rail that was added in January 2004 to the east rail (engineer's side) to replace a section with a crushed rail head. Under changes in temperature, compressive forces in that rail combined with poor condition of ties caused that rail to roll outward under train.

Engine 82: $50,000
Baggage 1223: $55,000
Sleeping Car 32036: $2,000,000
Dining Car 38009: $2,000,000
Lounge Car 33013: $700,000
Coach/Smoking 31592: $700,000
Coach 34069: $650,000
Coach 34087: $350,000
Sleeping Car 32005: $215,000
Coach 34135: $176,000

It is unlikely that the first five Superliners will ever return to service.