Worst Train wreck in DC Metro history, this afternoon

barman · Jun 22, 2009

Thread topic originally posed by KIDMAN...I urked up a merge with same topic thread created by PUNTER

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Kidman wrote:

ahhhh, i was suppose to be riding this thursday. atleast 4 dead

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/22/was...ash/index.html

quantumleap · Jun 22, 2009

Sad news.

I learned from the crash here in California that there are already systems available that will detect whether a train is on a track that is occupied and can actually shut a train down. These computerized warning systems are not expensive either.

What would happen if a conductor had a stroke or heart attack and missed a signal to stop? Are we going to let people die?

stolidog · Jun 22, 2009

Here is the link to the most recent Washington Post article.

These specific six-car Metro trains are equipped with the systems to automatically brake when trains get too close. Either there was a catastropic failure of the computerized signal system and/or human error (if the computerized system fails, the operator should have engaged the emergency brakes).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/22/AR2009062202508.html?hpid=topnews

I just returned from the scene and it was truly horrible.