Closest I can tell, it was going to fast for the corner. They say they was doing 79MPH into a 30mph corner, Has happened before here...
1 ...they are now saying that the corner was rated for 79mph and that the train was doing 81.1 and it should not have made any difference.
2 ...this was the inaugural journey for this train so it hadn't wrecked there before. The track had been upgraded and declared safe (by da gubmints) so we know that couldn't have been a problem.
Lakewood mayor had predicted new Amtrak rail line would lead to fatalities
The city of Lakewood sued the Washington State Department of Transportation in 2013 seeking to halt the project, arguing it had not undergone sufficient environmental review. The city lost its case in part because the law preempts cities and towns from regulating rail lines.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/lakewood-mayor-predicted-new-amtrak-rail-line-would-lead-to-fatalities/
...I suspect West Coast Luddites protecting citizens from environmental damage by killing em.