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All across the Great Western territory => The Wider Picture Overseas => Topic started by: broadgage on September 29, 2016, 16:15:14



Title: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: broadgage on September 29, 2016, 16:15:14
Fatal train crash in new Jersey, USA.
3 lives confirmed to be lost with fears that the death may be significantly higher. No news as yet as to suspected cause.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37503920 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37503920)


Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: broadgage on September 29, 2016, 16:18:58
Slightly later reports state that train ran off the end of the line at a terminus, through the ticket barriers, and that part of the station building has collapsed.
At Hoboken station, new Jersey, a busy commuter station.

It is feared that people may be trapped under the wreckage.


Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: Jason on September 29, 2016, 16:23:45
The front page of CNN would confirm that.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/160929091616-02-new-jersey-hoboken-transit-super-tease.jpeg (http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/160929091616-02-new-jersey-hoboken-transit-super-tease.jpeg)


Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: ChrisB on September 29, 2016, 18:13:41
One now being reported dead, 51 injured in hospital, 3 critical

Driver survived, one of the injured


Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: broadgage on September 29, 2016, 19:36:27
Later reports on BBC TV news implied that the installation of some new safety system that could probably have prevented this accident was "underway but not yet completed at the location of the accident"

"positive train control" If I heard it correctly, sounds a bit similar in scope and purpose to TPWS.


Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: Chris from Nailsea on September 29, 2016, 20:07:47
An update, from the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37503920):

Quote
Hoboken station crash: New Jersey train disaster 'kills one'

One person has been killed and 108 others injured, some of them critically, after a commuter train crashed into a railway station in the US state of New Jersey.

The train reportedly went through ticket barriers and into the reception area of Hoboken station.

Images show extensive damage to the train carriages and station, with part of the building roof caved in.

Witnesses described a scene of horror at the station.

A huge emergency services operation swung into action following the crash, with firefighters and transport staff helping people from wrecked carriages.

Hoboken is across the Hudson River from New York City. Many commuters use the busy station to travel into Manhattan.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie confirmed there had been one fatality. Earlier reports said three people had died.

"We're not going to speculate on the cause of the accident," Governor Christie said at a news conference.

Mr Christie added that the person killed in the accident was struck by debris while standing on a platform. He did not provide more details on the victim.

Mark Cardona was on the platform at the time. The "runaway" train missed me by 10-15 feet (3-5m), he told the BBC. There was "absolutely zero chance to react", Mr Cardona said. "It went full speed into and then through the building. I froze. People were screaming... The ceiling started to collapse. I ran for my life."

Ben Fairclough, a witness who was at the station, told the BBC: "I wasn't on the train, but I arrived just after it happened. There was water coming down off the roof and people climbing out through the windows. There were people sitting down with blood coming from their head. There were lots of injuries."

US rail safety

In 2008 the US Congress passed a law requiring all trains to install Positive Train Control (PTC) systems by the end of 2015.

But most rail companies were unable to meet the deadline as the system is expensive and complex to install. Some rail lines - including New Jersey Transit - threatened to shut down completely if it was enforced. In response, Congress extended the deadline to install PTC systems to 2018.

Rail lines can then apply for an additional two-year extension to finalise updates and test the system. But safety targets for New Jersey's commuter trains say PTC installation should be completed by 2018.

According New Jersey Transit's most recent PTC progress report, none of the 440 trains on the New Jersey Transit rail line are equipped with PTC, nor have any employees been trained on the equipment.

PTC safety systems are designed to automatically override the actions of train engineers if the locomotive is travelling too fast. In effect, they act as a safeguard against "human error" which could cause derailments or collisions.

The system uses wifi, GPS and a specific coding system to relay real-time information from trains to control centres.

Last year, the Guardian reported that US trains were far behind those in Europe, which have had automatic safety systems for years.

New Jersey Transit posted on Twitter that the service out of Hoboken station had been suspended as a result of the crash.

(http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/132A9/production/_91450587_5a9a4266-2152-4da7-a256-99f4a176bb38.jpg)
The train ploughed into the station

(http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/294E/production/_91447501_28ca9d97-75ef-414b-8fbb-91b5a1e824a9.jpg)
The roof of the station collapsed

(http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/18492/production/_91447499_d50d54ef-b636-4d52-98e6-cb6925524812.jpg)
Passengers fled wrecked carriages

(http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/E852/production/_91447495_0a6e9641-70bf-41c3-a5ed-dd0a0b68b705.jpg)
Emergency workers treated the many wounded




Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: ChrisB on September 29, 2016, 23:29:23
That page has been updated to name the lady killed by flying debris on a platform. There's also a link to details on the safety system. The New Jersey Transit considered it too expensive to fit when first required by State legislators, so deadline was pushed out to 2018, with a further two year extension possible!

But at least no one killed on the train itself (yet)


Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: ChrisB on September 29, 2016, 23:41:23
Blimey! This thread is really far West!

[edit]was in Across the West thread when I posted this[/edit]


Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: Chris from Nailsea on September 29, 2016, 23:49:47
A valid comment, ChrisB: this topic was indeed on our 'The Wider Picture' board - until I renamed it, to clarify some facts of the sad incident as they became known.

I've now moved this topic back to where it belongs, with my apologies for any confusion.  :-[


Title: Re: One killed, many injured in train crash at Hoboken station, New Jersey - 29 Sep 2016
Post by: Noggin on September 30, 2016, 11:43:47
That page has been updated to name the lady killed by flying debris on a platform. There's also a link to details on the safety system. The New Jersey Transit considered it too expensive to fit when first required by State legislators, so deadline was pushed out to 2018, with a further two year extension possible!

But at least no one killed on the train itself (yet)

The saga relating to PTC, which indeed, is similar to AWS and other systems that apply the brakes in the event of an overspeed/SPAD. You can read more about it at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_train_control (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_train_control).

In many ways the fact that so few people were killed is down to the robust construction of US rolling stock, which of course is terrible for energy consumption and performance, but does help in tragic circumstances like these.



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