The was a sideswipe accident between a InterRegio train powered by Re460 087 and a S-Bahn trainset formed of RABe514 046 near Rafz, Canton of Zürich. The are no reported fatalities, but the Driver of the Re460 was seriously injured and had to be cut out of the Locomotive Cab.
Accident at Rafz
Scroll down for a slideshow with more photos.
beaulieu The was a sideswipe accident between a InterRegio train powered by Re460 087 and a S-Bahn trainset formed of RABe514 046 near Rafz, Canton of Zürich. The are no reported fatalities, but the Driver of the Re460 was seriously injured and had to be cut out of the Locomotive Cab. Accident at Rafz Scroll down for a slideshow with more photos.
They were very fortunate (?) that the accident occured where it did; the cars did not go off the bridge,into the underpass and motorway... It could have been a much more serious outcome for the passengers, and the driver.
According to the Zurich newspaper's online edition, there were six injured, including the operator of the Zurich-Schaffhousen express. The operator was flown by helicopter to a hospital, with non-life-threatening injuries. Both the express and the S-Bahn train (think commuters) were in the hands of trainee operators under the supervision of instructors. Current concern is that the highway overpass the trains ended up on is in some danger of collapse.
http://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/unfall-zug-rafz-1.18487271
Noticed in the 7 picture gallery, that one car was being secured by 'industrial strength' ratchet strap from completing it's roll over action.
Doesn't the Swiss coupling system work to prevent roll overs like US couplings do?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
The two trains had different coupling systems. The S-Bahn train has a center coupler which has some tightlock characteristics, similar to U.S. transit couplers. The express has the conventional side buffers and screw-hook center coupling common to most european rolling stock. Best view of couplling is picture 4 in the gallery.
SBB had a series of cars and locomotives equipped with center automatic couplers in the mid 1970s which were easily identified by their orange paint. The difficulty involved in having this special "Swiss Express" series seems to have outweighed any safety and operational advantages the center couplers had.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.