"At least three people have been confirmed killed after a US passenger train derailed onto a motorway in Washington state during rush hour on Monday morning."

"A state transport spokesperson was quoted in the Seattle Times newspaper as saying the curve where the train derailed had a 30mph (48km/h) speed limit.

Barbara LaBoe said the limit on most of the track was 79mph (128km/h) but drivers were supposed to slow dramatically at the spot where the train derailed.

She said warning signs were in place two miles before the lowered limit. The Associated Press reported that a website mapping train speeds suggested the train may have been travelling at 81mph before the derailment."

"A local news reporter who was on the train, but got off at a stop just before the crash, said many of those on board were railway enthusiasts, keen to experience the first high-speed train on the new route.

Every passenger was given a commemorative lanyard and badge to mark their journey, he said."