Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Steve B]

And now there is another one

http://news.sky.com/story/1121900/swiss-train-crash-44-passengers-injured

[mantahatch]

Driver talkiing on phone by the look of it.

[tunnie]

Driver talkiing on phone by the look of it.

Spanish one that is, not Swiss

[tunnie]

Looks like he was on the phone, but it was the Spanish Train Operator that called him. They wanted him to consult a document on the on-going route, so for me it looks like he was distracted by this and simply forgot how close he was to this sharp turn.

[Marks DTM Calib]

I keep hearing this bull shit train design fault rubbish, it was going at over 200% the rated line speed. Given that, one of the vehicle types is going to topple first (obviously) and hence the I'll informed will point the finger at the 'design'.

Bottom line, phone or not the driver is responsible for their train and he was going much to fast. These people get paid well for the responsibility and he now has to live with the consequences of his actions

[Kevin Wood]

I keep hearing this bull shit train design fault rubbish, it was going at over 200% the rated line speed. Given that, one of the vehicle types is going to topple first (obviously) and hence the I'll informed will point the finger at the 'design'.

Bottom line, phone or not the driver is responsible for their train and he was going much to fast. These people get paid well for the responsibility and he now has to live with the consequences of his actions

Hear Hear!

If he knew about the overspeed (and it's difficult to imagine how he wouldn't if he was competent), then his attention should have been focussed 100% on slowing the train by whatever methods he had at his disposal. The phone call to head office could have waited!

How a train responds to a 200% overspeed is irrelevant. It's an area of its operating envelope it should never have been allowed to enter by its' driver!

[aaronjb]

<devils advocate>

I'm sure some people would argue that such systems should be designed to be idiot proof (therefore it's a design flaw).. the trouble is, someone always designs a bigger idiot.

</devils advocate>

[Kevin Wood]

<devils advocate>

I'm sure some people would argue that such systems should be designed to be idiot proof (therefore it's a design flaw).. the trouble is, someone always designs a bigger idiot.

</devils advocate>

The Airbus philosophy.. The system actually generates its' own "bigger idiots" because it won't actually let them drive any more!

Yes, it seems odd to me that the train didn't have a system that acts to protect the train from an overspeed. Then again, it seems odd to me that train crashes can happen at all, and that they still have human drivers.

[aaronjb]

Yes, it seems odd to me that the train didn't have a system that acts to protect the train from an overspeed. Then again, it seems odd to me that train crashes can happen at all, and that they still have human drivers.

I've always wondered why a system like that wasn't 100% automated .. but then again, the concept also scares the wotsit out of me as I don't know which is worse; an undiscovered bug in some piece of code that causes a terrible accident, or a driver (essentially) asleep at the wheel..

Although the rail loop at Seattle airport is 100% computerised, I believe. Easy to do when it's a tiny closed system, I suppose..

[tunnie]

Its like when the TFL drivers here start bashing on about safety if drivers are removed, they want it all to sound like the tube is doomed without them.

But the Docklands Light Railway has been doing it perfectly well for several decades now, I always want to point out every time TFL drivers go on strike, thats another reason for full automation 

[mantahatch]

Its like when the TFL drivers here start bashing on about safety if drivers are removed, they want it all to sound like the tube is doomed without them.

But the Docklands Light Railway has been doing it perfectly well for several decades now, I always want to point out every time TFL drivers go on strike, thats another reason for full automation 

Especially considering there massive salary they receive for doing very little it would seem. I have an aquaintence who is a tube driver. And yes he commutes from down here. Last I heard he gets free train travel to and from London for work as well. How many of us would like free travel to work ?

[05omegav6]

There's a thought...

Given the double expense of paying off all the RMT members and fully automating the entire rail network, how long would the efficiency savings take to recover the cost?

Just asking...

[tunnie]

Its like when the TFL drivers here start bashing on about safety if drivers are removed, they want it all to sound like the tube is doomed without them.

But the Docklands Light Railway has been doing it perfectly well for several decades now, I always want to point out every time TFL drivers go on strike, thats another reason for full automation 

Especially considering there massive salary they receive for doing very little it would seem. I have an aquaintence who is a tube driver. And yes he commutes from down here. Last I heard he gets free train travel to and from London for work as well. How many of us would like free travel to work ?

Mine is free, for now at least