Trains crashing...

StriderX · 29 Jul 2013 at 20:57

So apparently now even the Swiss are at it...this is either the biggest coincidence ever or something fishy is going on in the EU (which i am now assuming anyway).

Are they cutting costs too much?

Rimsy · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:00

everyone is cutting costs! most of the worlds economy is in tatters however its unlikely this is the cause of such events. Spain seems to have employed a boy racer train driver and who knows what happened in Switzerland. Unlikely the two are linked

StriderX · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:02

I thought there was a previous crash of something before Spain, hmm maybe i have just wasted my time.

scorza · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:04

These things tend to happen in clusters, no logical reason why. I'm afraid we in Britain know all too well about the consequences of extreme cost cutting following the Potters Bar train crash

AFK_Matrix · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:11

StriderX said:
I thought there was a previous crash of something before Spain, hmm maybe i have just wasted my time.

Well there was that runaway train before Spain but that was in Canada.

Moothead2 · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:15

Wouldn't say cutting costs caused a driver to go double the speed limit. Unless of course they cut back on their training and had to leave speed limits out

.

explicit4u · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:15

They seem to be quite common but only a select few are bad enough to be reported.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents_(2010–present)

Amp34 · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:16

AFK_Matrix said:
Well there was that runaway train before Spain but that was in Canada.

And the one in Paris...

Four in the western world in less than a month (ish?).

muon · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:17

Moothead2 said:
Wouldn't say cutting costs caused a driver to go double the speed limit. Unless of course they cut back on their training and had to leave speed limits out .

And the Swiss one looks like an error by someone in putting 2 trains on the same track by accident.

thedoc46 · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:17

AFK_Matrix said:
Well there was that runaway train before Spain but that was in Canada.

Yes that was loaded with fuel and actually took out a town center. 47 either dead or missing.

Poor people, must have been at home in bed and next thing they know, they're being vaporized. I wonder what their last thoughts would have been? Asteroid? Solar Flare? Wouldn't have been train crash.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/19/canada-rail-disaster-death-toll-at-47-police/

Kishywish · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:21

explicit4u said:
They seem to be quite common but only a select few are bad enough to be reported.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents_(2010–present)

Blimey, that's a load of crashes.

PapaLazaru · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:22

scorza said:
These things tend to happen in clusters, no logical reason why.

They happen all the time. It is just they get reported more when there is one bad one, as it is more newsworthy.

JBod · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:35

Hasn't there also been an increase in plane and coach crashes as well? Or is it just the news centres hopping on the band wagon?

I genuinely came here to start a similar thread

One More Solo · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:38

Switzerland's not in the EU...

Judgeneo · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:49

Both crashes were operated by state owned companies. Private trains like in the UK appear safe.....

robgmun · 29 Jul 2013 at 21:54

Lots of public transport disasters recently with the coach crash yesterday

lettucefire · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:36

Judgeneo said:
Both crashes were operated by state owned companies. Private trains like in the UK appear safe.....

I think network rail have been busy since the paris crash replacing the same part that caused the issue in france

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/26/train-crash-santiago-unlikely-britain

estebanrey · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:44

Rimsy said:
Unlikely the two are linked

That would be a massive train if they were

FoxEye · 29 Jul 2013 at 23:04

muon said:
And the Swiss one looks like an error by someone in putting 2 trains on the same track by accident.

It's a shame that in 2013 we haven't yet totally removed human error from the equation.

Systems like these should be run entirely by computer, no? Or at least the computers should be able to shut things down before an accident occurs.

nutcase · 30 Jul 2013 at 07:57

lettucefire said:
I think network rail have been busy since the paris crash replacing the same part that caused the issue in france

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/26/train-crash-santiago-unlikely-britain

A fishplate didn't cause the crash, poor maintenance did. Fishplates have been in use since the beginning of railways. We just gradually reduced the maintenance over the years so loose ones don't get spotted in times.