High Speed Train Derails in Spain

[Puppycow]

High-speed train crash in Spain kills at least 39

More than 400 passengers were on board the trains that derailed near the city of Córdoba, in Spain's worst rail crash in more than a decade.

www.bbc.com

Strange, tragic accident. I wonder what could cause this on "a straight stretch of track"?

Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the death toll "is not yet final", as officials launched an investigation.
Puente described the incident as "extremely strange". All the railway experts consulted by the government "are extremely baffled by the accident", he told reporters in Madrid.

 

[jt512]

As I heard on the German news, one train derailed and then was struck head-on by another train, which then itself derailed. There was no mention of the cause of the original derailment.

 

[Myriad]

The train in Spain fails mainly due to strain.

 

[Puppycow]

Too soon. Into the box with you.

 

[Puppycow]

Train drivers in Spain begin nationwide strike after fatal crashes

Striking drivers are demanding increased investment and maintenance, and the hiring of more staff.

www.bbc.com

There have been subsequent accidents

Train drivers in Spain are due to begin a three-day nationwide strike on Monday in protest of what they say is a lack of safety guarantees on the country's rail system.
The action follows two fatal train crashes in January, one in Adamuz in the country's southern region which killed 46 people, and the second just two days later near Barcelona where a train driver died and dozens were injured.
The accidents have caused severe disruption for travellers and cast doubt on Spain's much-vaunted rail system.

 

[Puppycow]

Another accident:

Ten people confirmed dead in high-speed Spain train crash, local media report

It is the second deadly high-speed train collision in Spain this year.

www.cnbc.com

At least 10 people have been killed in a collision between two trains in the Spanish province of Toledo, it was reported on Wednesday.

The high-speed trains collided shortly before 9:15 a.m. local time (4:15 a.m. ET), when emergency services were deployed to the scene.

The number of fatalities is likely to rise.

 

[jimbob]

Another accident:

Ten people confirmed dead in high-speed Spain train crash, local media report

It is the second deadly high-speed train collision in Spain this year.

www.cnbc.com

The number of fatalities is likely to rise.

Something seems broken with the Spanish rail system

 

[Safe-Keeper]

At least 64 dead now. Seems to be the deadliest train crash in Spanish history.

 

[erwinl]

I see.
Looks really nasty.

 

[Planigale]

Unfortunately it looks like the high speed train ran into the back of the stopped local train. The passengers in the HST would be protected by the heavy locomotive in front and the carriages look intact. The rear two carriages of the local train appear to have been ripped open.

There appears to have been a failure of signalling allowing the HST to be on the same section of track as a stopped train without triggering a stop.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Pretty detailed explanation here:

What is the LZB signaling system, one of the key factors in the fatal train accident in Spain?

The Madrid–Seville high-speed line uses this technology, which monitors train speed and transmits movement instructions to the driver

english.elpais.com

 

[Safe-Keeper]

Short version: There was a fault in the system and the trains were immediately stopped, but one train was 'inexplicably' allowed to proceed even though doing so meant running a red light. Also, situations like this dictate that a train drive at 40 km/h, which is slow enough to stop when needed. As far as I understand, this wasn't done here.

And yes, it's unfathomable that two such accidents happen during the course of a year. Also makes me worried for Norwegian train travel, we've had a fair bit of problems with our ageing signal systems for a while, too.

 

[Helen]

Too tragic for words.

 

[theprestige]

Tragic for sure.

As Safe-Keeper worries about Norwegian rail, I wonder what's more likely: California HSR that ends up like Japan's, or California HSR that ends up like Spain's.

 

[Flo]

Tragic for sure.

As Safe-Keeper worries about Norwegian rail, I wonder what's more likely: California HSR that ends up like Japan's, or California HSR that ends up like Spain's.

Japan's Shinkansen runs on totally separate tracks from the ordinary trains, which explains the lack of such accidents. Would California use already existing tracks ?

 

[theprestige]

Japan's Shinkansen runs on totally separate tracks from the ordinary trains, which explains the lack of such accidents. Would California use already existing tracks ?

I was thinking less about specific implementation details and more about an overall approach to safety and quality of service.

I'm confident that the state of California is capable of introducing other significant safety concerns besides shared tracks, if they put their minds to it.

 

[SpitfireIX]

Tragic for sure.

As Safe-Keeper worries about Norwegian rail, I wonder what's more likely: California HSR that ends up like Japan's, or California HSR that ends up like Spain's.

I'll bet it ends up like New Zealand's HSR.

 

[theprestige]

Full of kiwis?

 

[SpitfireIX]

Full of kiwis?

Think about it.

 

[a_unique_person]

Short version: There was a fault in the system and the trains were immediately stopped, but one train was 'inexplicably' allowed to proceed even though doing so meant running a red light. Also, situations like this dictate that a train drive at 40 km/h, which is slow enough to stop when needed. As far as I understand, this wasn't done here.

And yes, it's unfathomable that two such accidents happen during the course of a year. Also makes me worried for Norwegian train travel, we've had a fair bit of problems with our ageing signal systems for a while, too.

The central command told the second train to proceed. It's not yet known why and everything would have been ok otherwise.