How can a signal be missed?

[timz]

I thought ... that there were over-rides in place that would stop the train in the event that the engineer missed a signal.

Usually not, in the US. Apparently in this case it set off an alarm in the dispatcher's office, but there was nothing to brake the train.

[traisessive1]

You can't rely on google earth. One photograph from a satellite could be a year old, while the one right beside it could be 10 years old.

Just because google says its not there, doesn't mean its true. Wait for someone who knows the area to comment. And even if the DS gave both trains permission to be in the same block, at least one would have to be doing restricted speed.

Either way, someones getting fired.

In most places there is nothing that will prevent a train from blowing a red if the crew misses a signal or the crew is incapacitated. There certainly isn't on the railroads here in Canada.

[videomaker]

 If you look at the first day report,a spokesperson from Metrolink stated that they were at fault because of the engineer, was a contracted person,not hired by Metolink,He may have not been quaulified on this territory..From what I understand it not hard to miss a signal for various reasons..My question is where did each train get on that track? There is not a siding in the area if you look at the GoogleEarth pic someone posted earlier...Did a DS give him or the UP train permission to be there?

[DMUinCT]

   Most Commuter Trains (and Amtrak) in the US have just one man in the Cab, the  Engineer.  As Boston uses the same sub-contractor to run there trains, I would think Metrolink would work the same way (correct me if I'm wrong).

   The Conductor is back in the Passenger Cars with Assistance Conductors (formally called Trainmen) for every 2 or 3 cars.   In most cases, Engineers belong to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Conductors to the United Transportaion Union.

   Freight Trains will have at least two men in the Cab, Engineer and Conductor.  The "Crew Cab" makes up for lack of a caboose.  They even have a third seat for a Brakeman, Check Engineer, or Guest. (FRA, NTSB, Union, Management)

  Passenger and most freight locomotives have an "Alerter".  If the Engineer has not adjusted the Throttle or Brake for about 20 seconds, an alarm and flashing light goes off.  If he has not moved a control or hit the Alerter Reset button (or wand) in 10 more seconds, the normal breaking is applied to a full stop.  Most cases, diesel to idle, Reverser to Reverse then Forward, then he can again accelerate to track speed.  The dreaded "Penalty Stop".

   In areas that have Automatic Track Control, passing a red signal trips an inductor and forces a Penalty Stop.  Acceeding track speed by about 5mph creates a Penalty Stop.

  Maybe the west coast can learn from the northeast, spend your money on safety.

 

[Gary UK]

Its prety easy to miss a signal. The every day reppitition that train drivers/train engineers go through is a facotor. Sun can be a cause as can fatigue or disstraction. Assumption can be a cause, drivers/engineers can and have assumed that a signal is showing a proceed aspect becuase it """normaly always does when i come through this place""" 

Im not sure what safety systems you have in place but up until a few years ago, we only had AWS (automatic warning system) here in the UK. This warns of a danger signal asspect, the driver has to cancel the visual and audible warning in the cab within 3 seconds to cancel it or the brakes are applied automaticly. This was OK but the driver could still blow the red light even affter cancelling the warning. We had some real bad wrecks over the years until TPWS (train protection warning system) came in around 8 years ago but at huge cost.

This system makes it alsmost pysicly impossible for a train to pass a red. I was talking to a guy a few hours ago about how many hundreds of thousands of miles of trackage you guys have over there in the U.S. Who would fund the massive costs involved in funding a TPWS based system for what is assentialy a freight based rail system?? And theres the rub, we have an assentialy passenger based system where passenger trains are first and freight second whereas you guys are the opposite! I supose a system could be fitted where there are a lot of passenger trains but where do you draw the line?

[cacole]

According to the NTSB investigation and testimony from a couple of teenagers, the engineer appears to have been text messaging them with his cell phone and possibly wasn't even watching for the signal.

Commuter lines usually have only the engineer in the cab because the conductor is back in the coaches collecting tickets.

[caldreamer]

About 5 years ago a Conrail engingineer missed a signal in Lebanon, PA.  The sun was such that the signal aspect looked clear not red.  It can happen.  Perhaps he was distracted, was not paying attention or talking.  Accordingto the media, a preliminary report by the NTSB said that he missed the signal.  I beleive the crew was killed in the crash, so we will probably never really know why.

[Ulrich]

The media are reporting that the Metrolink engineer missed a signal that caused the collision. I thought there were at least two people in the cab  watching things... and that there were over-rides in place that would stop the train in the event that the engineer missed a signal.

 I know that the media are premature in blaming the  engineer when no investigation has yet be undertaken...