BRUNSWICK

After a fatal Amtrak derailment in

Washington state on Monday that killed three people, representatives for local passenger service say that safety remains a top priority.

“We always consider safety,” said Patricia Quinn, executive director of Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, on Wednesday. “Obviously, it’s a tragic event, but safety is foremost in the operation of our service.”

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Bella Dinh-Zarr, a National Transportation Safety Board member, said during a news conference Monday night that the event data recorder in the rear locomotive showed the train was traveling at 80 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone when it derailed. The train careened off an overpass south of Seattle, spilling cars onto the highway below.

The AP reported Wednesday that investigators confirmed that technology “that can automatically slow or stop a speeding train” was not yet in use on this stretch of track. This technology is called positive train control and, according to the AP, Dinh-Zarr said it was too early in the investigation to say whether it would have prevented the crash.

There is no plan to install the technology on the Pan Am railroad in Maine, because of the relatively low number of trains using those rails per day. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has positive train control installed on 36 miles of track. It is very expensive to install, Quinn said.

Pan Am Railways maintains the track over which the Downeaster operates between Brunswick and Plaistow, New Hampshire, but intercity passenger trains are operated by Amtrak crews — subject to Amtrak rules and supervision — so Pan Am has little control over train operations.

Cynthia Scarano, the railway’s executive vice president, said Wednesday that publicly available data compiled by the Federal Railroad Administration “routinely show that Pan Am’s safety record regarding derailments and injuries is among the best in the industry for a railroad its size.”

“In addition, Pan Am received a Jake Award from the American Shortline Railroad Association recognizing its safety record,” she added, “and underwent a safety review by the Safety Institute in 2015 that highlighted Pan Am’s safety culture.”

NNEPRA holds a 20-year agreement with Amtrak to operate the Downeaster rail service between Portland and Boston, and is party to agreements with host railroads, including Pan Am Railways and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Class 4 speeds

Between Brunswick and Boston, NNEPRA operates at Class 4 with speeds up to 79 miles per hour. The transportation authority is still working to identify and verify the passenger class of track between Brunswick and Rockland — which is not owned by Pan Am Railways — that the Downeaster Amtrak would use if it expands service to Rockland. Quinn said that rail is probably lower than Class 4, so speeds likely wouldn’t exceed 59 miles per hour.

Asked whether NNEPRA will look to add or increase safety features as it considers expanding service to Rockland, Quinn said there isn’t a need to do so because safety is already the top priority.

“Again, I think incidents like this are definitely a reminder of what can happen, but our intent always has been and always will be to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our passengers,” she said.

The tracks, trains and equipment are inspected, and the engineers are qualified to operate the trains, Quinn said, noting there are many safety features in place. Pan Am maintains the tracks regularly and to a very high standard, she said, “so the tracks are in very good condition.”

NNEPRA has not had issues with derailment in Maine, she said.

“Locally here, Amtrak and Pan Am continue to have a very strong commitment to safety and it’s tragic for all of us when these kinds of incidents happen,” Quinn said, “but safety is and will continue to be our No. 1 priority.”

dmoore@timesrecord.com