Commuter Train Accidents Climb
For some of us, train rides conjure images of relaxation and scenic landscapes. So it makes perfect sense for many commuters to choose trains over automobiles. The time allows them to collect their thoughts on important responsibilities of the day, catch up on reading and even take a little rest. The last thing anyone suspects is a horrific train crash that shatters lives.
With technological advances, the average speeds of trains have gone up considerably and sadly, so have the number of train accidents. A train crash is the worst kind of auto accident because of the mass and the speed with which trains travel and the destruction they can cause.
Human Error Primary Cause
Whether it’s a conductor, engineer or train operator who actually drives the train, they have something in common. They are responsible for the safety of hundreds of passengers. And they are humans and prone to human error.In parts of the country, rail systems have installed "positive train controls" to monitor train locations and speeds and avoid a train crash. These systems compensate for human errors by placing more intrusive warning signals inside the train, and even by automatically taking charge of the train. However, no positive train controls helped these major train accidents:
- In 2009, a Washington commuter train rear-ended another train stopped on the tracks Monday, sending one train on top of the other, killing six people and injuring more than 60.
- In 2009, a Metrolink engineer was busy text-messaging a teenage railroad buff, planning a "ride along" later that day before the California commuter train slammed head-on into a freight train sharing the same track.
- In 2008, a commuter train engineer who ran a red signal was the likely cause of the nation’s deadliest commuter train crash in nearly four decades killing 25 people.
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