TAIPEI, Taiwan — At least 18 people were killed and another 187 injured on Sunday afternoon when a passenger train derailed in Northeast Taiwan. It is the country’s worst rail accident in 27 years. Puyama Express No. 6432 derailed near th...
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/10/22-at-least-18-dead-in-derailment-in-taiwan
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
Lord, that's awful! May they rest in peace, including the doubtless severely injured who won't make it...
I see the lead car already rising up in front and turning over to the left with centrifugal force when it comes into frame. Does anyone have quick access to Google Earth coordinates or an overhead view of this trackwork to see if the reported 78mph is in excess of likely tipover speed?
What's the Taiwanese equivalent, if any, of the NTSB?
PTC?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD PTC?
From International Railway Journal August 28, 2014:
Quote: Signalling improvements are another major priority for the main lines as a means of boosting capacity. While a little further behind the electrification project, Chou says that TRA intends to upgrade its ETCS Level 1 network, the installation of which was completed in 2007, to ETCS Level 2.
“While we are still improving our Level 1 system, we are also establishing a Level 2 system, but this still has some time to go,” Chou says. “We believe that in around 2020 we will start testing on the southern section of network. At present we are still estimating the capacity improvements that such an upgrade will provide us.”
So it should have been ETCS Level 1. The system is fully implemented, able to monitor and control speed and initiate penalty braking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Train_Control_SystemRegards, Volker
Have a question that hoped some one would have answer. The tracks on the left appear to be of a lesser class than the 2 on the right. Did the train overturn on the "main " line or was it on the tracks to left. If on left could train have been routed incorrectly to those lesser tracks ?
EDIT; more pictures of overall scene may clarify ?
blue streak 1Have a question that hoped some one would have answer. The tracks on the left appear to be of a lesser class than the 2 on the right. Did the train overturn on the "main " line or was it on the tracks to left. If on left could train have been routed incorrectly to those lesser tracks ?
I don't think it had anything to do with track quality. The train was to stop there. All is narrow gauge (cape gauge).
Here are two interesting news articles: https://ibexnews24.com/2018/10/footage-shows-the-moment-taiwanese-passenger-train-derailing-at-high-speed-leaving-18-dead/
The article contains an ariel view of the accident cite and a note that the driver reported a to low air pressure 20 minutes before the accident.
The Taiwan News article is disturbing: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3558111
The TRA director confirmed that the driver disabled the Automatic Train Protection System (ATPS), in this cause presumably ETCS Level 1.Regards, Volker
VOLKER LANDWEHRThe TRA director confirmed that the driver disabled the Automatic Train Protection System (ATPS), in this cause presumably ETCS Level 1.
A today's article on bbc.com specifies the driver's actions. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45951475
Quote: According to officials, the driver said he had switched off the speed control system after a failure slowed down the train earlier in the journey.
"He should have turned the system back on at the next stop," court spokesman Huang Yong-sheng said according to Reuters news agency.
"The defendant is highly suspected to have been negligent."
Regards, Volker
VOLKER LANDWEHR VOLKER LANDWEHR The TRA director confirmed that the driver disabled the Automatic Train Protection System (ATPS), in this cause presumably ETCS Level 1. A today's article on bbc.com specifies the driver's actions. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45951475 Quote: According to officials, the driver said he had switched off the speed control system after a failure slowed down the train earlier in the journey. "He should have turned the system back on at the next stop," court spokesman Huang Yong-sheng said according to Reuters news agency. "The defendant is highly suspected to have been negligent." Regards, Volker
VOLKER LANDWEHR The TRA director confirmed that the driver disabled the Automatic Train Protection System (ATPS), in this cause presumably ETCS Level 1.
So the operator had a 'speed control system' failure and it was cut out. Was the next stop a mechanical repair site able to fix the control system failure so that it could be cut back in? If the failure was not repaired why would anyone expect it to be cut back into operation in its failed mode?
Do we have the start of a cover up by dumping all responsibility back on the train operator?
BaltACD VOLKER LANDWEHR VOLKER LANDWEHR The TRA director confirmed that the driver disabled the Automatic Train Protection System (ATPS), in this cause presumably ETCS Level 1. A today's article on bbc.com specifies the driver's actions. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45951475 Quote: According to officials, the driver said he had switched off the speed control system after a failure slowed down the train earlier in the journey. "He should have turned the system back on at the next stop," court spokesman Huang Yong-sheng said according to Reuters news agency. "The defendant is highly suspected to have been negligent." Regards, Volker So the operator had a 'speed control system' failure and it was cut out. Was the next stop a mechanical repair site able to fix the control system failure so that it could be cut back in? If the failure was not repaired why would anyone expect it to be cut back into operation in its failed mode? Do we have the start of a cover up by dumping all responsibility back on the train operator?
BaltACDSo the operator had a 'speed control system' failure and it was cut out. Was the next stop a mechanical repair site able to fix the control system failure so that it could be cut back in? If the failure was not repaired why would anyone expect it to be cut back into operation in its failed mode? Do we have the start of a cover up by dumping all responsibility back on the train operator?
Sorry, I can't answer that, I'm just the messenger.
The ETCS locomotive equipment is computer based. Perhaps you remember on of the first question of an IT technician in case of a failure: Have you already rebooted the computer.
I just had such a telefon talk about my not working internet connection. It turned out it was my computer. I got a number of tips what to do. One was to reboot the computer first. I did it and my internet connection worked OK again.
So rebooting a computer system is not a bad idea.
Perhaps that was the idea behind the suggested restart at the next stop.
And Euclid is right, the driver can brake manually. ETCS works like PTC but uses trackside transponders similar to Amtrak's ACSES.Regards, Volker
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