Washington subway crash

classicman · 06-22-2009, 05:49 PM

2-Two killed, others injured in Washington subway crash

Quote:

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - At least two people were killed and others were injured when a Washington D.C. subway train derailed and smashed into another train on tracks on the outskirts of the city during Monday's afternoon rush hour.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which runs the "Metro" subway system, said a six-car Red Line train headed out of town derailed and collided with another train at 5 p.m. EST/2100 GMT on Monday.

"At this point right now we can confirm that there are two fatalities," the authority said in a statement.

The accident trapped passengers in one or more of the subway cars. Emergency rescue personnel were seeking to free the passengers, while others carried injured people off the trains on stretchers.

"We are working to first get everyone outside of the train and everyone who needs medical attention will get (it)," the general manager of metro system, John Catoe, told reporters.

Catoe said that up to 70 people "walked off" the trains, but had no immediate estimate of the number of injured.

Fox television's local news affiliate showed passengers being escorted from a Metro train outside the Fort Totten station. The station said power to the station was shut off.

A reporter with the tv station said he saw what appeared to be a body covered with a sheet, and several injured passengers including one wearing a neck brace.

"One train was on top of another... I can confirm one fatality from having seen the victim," a CNN reporter at the scene said.

Witnesses said fire department vehicles and ambulances were also at the scene, while television pictures showed rescue officials taking injured people off the tracks.

Metro is a heavily used subway system in and around the U.S. capital.

Not that this isn't a terrible enough tragedy on its own, but doesn't Glatt ride public transportation? Hope he is ok...

glatt · 06-22-2009, 08:01 PM

I'm fine

classicman · 06-22-2009, 08:53 PM

Well thats good to hear.

Beestie · 06-23-2009, 02:14 AM

The death toll has risen to nine.

I believe HM takes the train.

Sound off, HM.

Here's a link that's updated more frequently.

DanaC · 06-23-2009, 05:57 AM

*shakes head* God that musthave been terrifying.

glatt · 06-23-2009, 07:33 AM

It could have been a lot worse. The trains were heading into the city during the evening rush hour, which means they should have been fairly empty. If it had been one of the packed outbound trains, there would have been many more dead.

Happy Monkey drives from DC to VA, so he should be fine.

It's messed up. There had to be multiple failures for this to happen.

joelnwil · 06-23-2009, 08:14 AM

I stay out of DC to the extent possible. The government there is generally run by idiots, and the place is very violent. It will probably turn out that somebody at the Metro did something stupid, was high on coke, or something else. Or maybe texting, like the driver in Boston.

I may sound extreme, but I have lived in Silver Spring for years, and things are better than when that coke-head Marion Barry was mayor, but they still elected him to the council, and he has recently exerted his moral authority (!) to oppose gay marriage.

Remember the controversy over the word "niggardly"? Some of the great civic leaders of DC thought it was a racial slur. That is some indication of their level of intelligence.

glatt · 06-23-2009, 08:51 AM

The civic leaders don't run Metro, so that has nothing to do with it.

It's too soon to know what caused this.

I could write a very long post on this. In a nutshell, the trains are driven by computers. Autopilot, if you will. The computers get their information from thousands of sensors throughout the system. Those sensors are on the trains themselves (mainly in the doors) and also on the tracks. Either there is a problem with the computer, or there was a faulty sensor somewhere. The thing is, there are supposed to be multiple layers of safety so that one faulty sensor won't result in a crash. Sensors in trains fail all the time, and they take those trains out of service and fix the sensors. Those failed sensors never result in a crash, so there has to be more going on here. Probably some sensor on the track.

The drivers can take control of their train in an emergency, the driver of the train that rear ended the other must have been distracted or incapacitated, on top of the autopilot failing.

It's all very unusual, and required multiple layers of failure to happen.

dar512 · 06-23-2009, 09:03 AM

On the radio they said that the NTSB recommended three years ago that they replace their equipment which was old and outdated.

classicman · 06-23-2009, 09:08 AM

It'll certainly be sorted out soon enough. The finger pointing and blame, the investigation... hopefully something positive can come out of it so that we prevent a similar problem in the future.

Glad you are ok Glatt.

glatt · 06-23-2009, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dar512

On the radio they said that the NTSB recommended three years ago that they replace their equipment which was old and outdated.

There has been a huge budget problem for years, and much of the equipment in Metro is outdated and in need of maintenance or replacement. The safety stuff was supposedly being maintained though.

Part of the budget problem for Metro is that there hasn't been a dedicated outside funding source like other major cities have. It goes through two states and the District, so nobody feels like it's their responsibility. Like all public transportation, fares only cover like 50-75% of the operational costs.

Flint · 06-23-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

It's all very unusual, and required multiple layers of failure to happen.

This is why IT requires paranoid weirdos who are on the verge of the Autism spectrum with their obsessive thought processes. Nobody else is risk-averse enough. The IT guy who asks you frustrating questions and insists on doing things a certain way, is acting that way for a reason. Everybody else figures that things will "just work out" somehow, but that's not how it works. No system runs well without some weirdo losing sleep over it.

dar512 · 06-23-2009, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flint

This is why IT requires paranoid weirdos who are on the verge of the Autism spectrum with their obsessive thought processes.

You rang?

classicman · 06-23-2009, 09:30 AM

What? No stimulus money earmarked for this? Sheesh! This is right in their backyard - WTF?

dar512 · 06-23-2009, 09:35 AM

Actually, I think there is money earmarked for local rail (Chicago's Metra expects some anyway). But it's not available yet.

06-22-2009, 08:53 PM	#3
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Well thats good to hear. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

06-23-2009, 02:14 AM	#4
Beestie -◊\|≡·∙■·∙≡\|◊- Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Parts unknown. Posts: 4,081	The death toll has risen to nine. I believe HM takes the train. Sound off, HM. Here's a link that's updated more frequently. __________________ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

06-23-2009, 09:03 AM	#9
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	On the radio they said that the NTSB recommended three years ago that they replace their equipment which was old and outdated. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

06-23-2009, 09:08 AM	#10
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	It'll certainly be sorted out soon enough. The finger pointing and blame, the investigation... hopefully something positive can come out of it so that we prevent a similar problem in the future. Glad you are ok Glatt. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

06-23-2009, 09:30 AM	#14
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	What? No stimulus money earmarked for this? Sheesh! This is right in their backyard - WTF? __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

06-22-2009, 08:01 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I'm fine

06-23-2009, 07:33 AM	#6
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	It could have been a lot worse. The trains were heading into the city during the evening rush hour, which means they should have been fairly empty. If it had been one of the packed outbound trains, there would have been many more dead. Happy Monkey drives from DC to VA, so he should be fine. It's messed up. There had to be multiple failures for this to happen.

06-23-2009, 08:14 AM	#7
joelnwil Major Inhabitant Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Silver Spring MD Posts: 128	I stay out of DC to the extent possible. The government there is generally run by idiots, and the place is very violent. It will probably turn out that somebody at the Metro did something stupid, was high on coke, or something else. Or maybe texting, like the driver in Boston. I may sound extreme, but I have lived in Silver Spring for years, and things are better than when that coke-head Marion Barry was mayor, but they still elected him to the council, and he has recently exerted his moral authority (!) to oppose gay marriage. Remember the controversy over the word "niggardly"? Some of the great civic leaders of DC thought it was a racial slur. That is some indication of their level of intelligence.

06-23-2009, 08:51 AM	#8
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	The civic leaders don't run Metro, so that has nothing to do with it. It's too soon to know what caused this. I could write a very long post on this. In a nutshell, the trains are driven by computers. Autopilot, if you will. The computers get their information from thousands of sensors throughout the system. Those sensors are on the trains themselves (mainly in the doors) and also on the tracks. Either there is a problem with the computer, or there was a faulty sensor somewhere. The thing is, there are supposed to be multiple layers of safety so that one faulty sensor won't result in a crash. Sensors in trains fail all the time, and they take those trains out of service and fix the sensors. Those failed sensors never result in a crash, so there has to be more going on here. Probably some sensor on the track. The drivers can take control of their train in an emergency, the driver of the train that rear ended the other must have been distracted or incapacitated, on top of the autopilot failing. It's all very unusual, and required multiple layers of failure to happen.

06-23-2009, 09:35 AM	#15
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	Actually, I think there is money earmarked for local rail (Chicago's Metra expects some anyway). But it's not available yet. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

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