this terrible train accident in Spain

[Lemon Drop]

Driver has been arrested for crimes related to the crash, which so far has 78 fatalities. He may have been going double the speed limit. Saw an interview with an American teen who survived the crash and is feeling lucky to be alive.

I didn't realize it was possible for operators of these things to make decisions like this - IOW - don't they have all sorts of alarms bells or controls or computer-guided systems that would prohibit this type of deadly recklessness?? Or can they really chose a speed in any circumstance? I guess they can.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23465992

[cbelt3]

Horrible. Just horrible. Air Korea crash, this train crash... when you operate a high speed transit machine, you are responsible for many, many lives.

[DP]

I had heard that he was behind schedule and was trying to make up time. I am stumped too that there wasn't some kind of computer control but maybe it can be disabled.

[jdc]

cbelt3 wrote:
Horrible. Just horrible. Air Korea crash, this train crash... when you operate a high speed transit machine, you are responsible for many, many lives.

Korean Air had a crash? Or did you mean the Asaina Air one where 3 people were killed?

[freeradical]

It seems like they should program extra time into the schedules so that the train has to slow down in order to not make it into the next station too early.

[space-time]

he posted on Face Book last year pictures showing he did 200 km/h (120 mph) when the speed limit was half that. Apparently pictures have been removed. I think they don't have the death penalty in Spain, but i cases like this they should "export" him to US to face murder charges here.

[DeusxMac]

DP wrote:
I had heard that he was behind schedule and was trying to make up time. I am stumped too that there wasn't some kind of computer control but maybe it can be disabled.

I heard the engine does indeed have a "dead man switch," which would prevent speeding if the engineer was incapacitated, but that was not the case here.

[Black]

freeradical wrote:
It seems like they should program extra time into the schedules so that the train has to slow down in order to not make it into the next station too early.

You're taking DP's unsourced comment as gospel? Or did you see this somewhere as well?
I don't see how anyone deemed remotely qualified to pilot a train like this could willingly travel at such a speed to make up schedule time-- just doesn't wash.

[mrlynn]

What Black said. There were two engineers ('drivers' in Europe) in the cab. It seems unlikely that both would be so negligent as to run double the speed limit for a dangerous stretch of track. It also seems odd that there would be been no in-cab signaling and/or limiters that would not have alerted or even braked the train; but I don't know what systems are in place in Spain or on that line.

But, unlikely as all the possibilities are, the crash did occur, and speed was the proximate cause. i think we should withhold judgment on the crew until we know more.

/Mr Lynn

[Blankity Blank]

CBS news just reported that a couple of minutes before the crash the train was radioed to reduce speed, but the instructions were not complied with for reasons yet unknown. However, it was also reported that after the crash the driver told station officials, "... I f**ked this up. I want to die."

Reportedly there are still 30 people still in critical condition, the majority of those in comas.