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View Full Version : Another Amtrrak crash



Kacper
02-04-2018, 07:02 AM
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42935764

A train carrying 147 people has collided with a goods train in the US state of South Carolina, killing at least two people, local police say.
More than 70 people were injured. The train's lead engine and several passenger carriages derailed in the crash, Amtrak said in a statement.
The train was operating between New York and Miami.

Dangermouse
02-04-2018, 08:25 AM
That's what happens when you try to run a first-world service on third-world funding.

Captdon
02-04-2018, 11:03 AM
How do trains collide? They have equipment that shows every train. How do two trains get on the same track, at the same time, headed toward one another.

nathanbforrest45
02-04-2018, 11:49 AM
How do trains collide? They have equipment that shows every train. How do two trains get on the same track, at the same time, headed toward one another.

According to this story the freight train was stationary on the track when the passenger train hit it. Which train was on the wrong track and why? As our communist posters seem to want to imply this has nothing to do with government funding, but with either human error or sabotage. Either is a reasonable speculation in my opinion.

This just happened eight or nine hours ago. It will be days at the very least before we know the entire story.

nathanbforrest45
02-04-2018, 11:51 AM
That's what happens when you try to run a first-world service on third-world funding.


These are American railroads you are discussing, not socialist run trains.

Kacper
02-04-2018, 12:02 PM
How do trains collide? They have equipment that shows every train. How do two trains get on the same track, at the same time, headed toward one another.
I don't know what happened here, but generally speaking, a lot of train lines do not really have two sets of tracks. In our area they have two sets for 5 miles and one track for five miles, rinse and repeat. They move the trains back and forth to pass each other on the two track runs and then they switch back to the one track segments. If something happens on a one set run, it brings traffic to a standstill up and down the whole line because there is no way around it until they get the train moving again. Logistics and switches are hugely important.

nathanbforrest45
02-04-2018, 12:19 PM
I don't know what happened here, but generally speaking, a lot of train lines do not really have two sets of tracks. In our area they have two sets for 5 miles and one track for five miles, rinse and repeat. They move the trains back and forth to pass each other on the two track runs and then they switch back to the one track segments. If something happens on a one set run, it brings traffic to a standstill up and down the whole line because there is no way around it until they get the train moving again. Logistics and switches are hugely important.
Look at the photo of the wreck. There are three sets of tracks. The freight train is on the far right in the photo. I suspect that line runs into the switching yard. The other two lines are mainlines. The Amtrak train was on the wrong set of tracks when it hit the freight. Now, its obvious the switch for the freight was thrown allowing the passenger train to come off the main line but how did that happen?

Sabotage.

Peter1469
02-04-2018, 12:28 PM
Look at the photo of the wreck. There are three sets of tracks. The freight train is on the far right in the photo. I suspect that line runs into the switching yard. The other two lines are mainlines. The Amtrak train was on the wrong set of tracks when it hit the freight. Now, its obvious the switch for the freight was thrown allowing the passenger train to come off the main line but how did that happen?

Sabotage.

Perhaps.

These systems can be automated.

Kacper
02-04-2018, 04:26 PM
Perhaps.

These systems can be automated.

My understanding is they kind of are. It is also possible that the switch command was sent but the motor failed. Not really sure. They will figure it out eventually. They will probably figure it out very quickly and just take eventually to lay the official blame.