Tram accidents

[Hyronymus]

Lately we have a tram accident spree in The Netherlands. Two accidents last week, one in Rotterdam (http://district8.net/tram-tegen-ambulance-oudedijk.html) and one in The Hague (http://district8.net/tram-tegen-bus-leyweg.html).

And today another one in The Hague (http://district8.net/randstadrail-ontsp ... nbaan.html). I know, the page is in Dutch but I think the images speak for themselves. The last accident most likely happened because of the switch jumping back to the previous position.

[Kevo00]

Interesting, particularly the one that doesn't involve a collision with a road vehicle. Is the boss of the tram company being mercilessly hunted down by the media?

[Nawdic]

oops!! I've had some wierd ones here in croydon as well...
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... article.do

Alledgedly, the lights were at green... but yet the bus driver was blamed.

[SmatZ]

This one is quite old, but still I feel very unpleasantly while watching it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kDMvPCkFSU

[Nawdic]

Here's an interesting one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwbiYVEcnpE&NR=1

[Kevo00]

This one is quite old, but still I feel very unpleasantly while watching it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kDMvPCkFSU

That's crazy! Was he overspeed or something?

[Hyronymus]

Interesting, particularly the one that doesn't involve a collision with a road vehicle. Is the boss of the tram company being mercilessly hunted down by the media?

No, that's not the media culture here (fortunately?).

[Railwaymodeler]

Then there was this too:

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/14 ... etail.html

Two MBTA streetcars collided, the motorman on one was on his cell phone and hit another car.

Now they want to ban crews from even having a cell onboard.

It has become something of a discussion at Pace Suburban Bus North Division here, as at one point, the management issued cells to drivers when the IBS (Intelligent Bus System) was new and unfamiliar to everyone.

Now, the IBS is a GPS and bus management system built by Siemens. A piece of crap, too. It is what calls out stops and reports bus position to dispatch. As it uses two satallites and most GPS systems use three, it is horribly unreliable and often does not call stops, and it is often difficult to get ahold of dispatch. Many drivers here pull over and use their own cells to call dispatch when something is wrong. Banning drivers from having cells here, is not feasible then.

I hope the MBTA has a more reliable communication system.

[Kevo00]

I'm sure that any public transport driver caught using a cellphone while driving whatever vehicle in the UK would be dismissed instantly, or at least given a severe penalty. I know for certain that UK train drivers are not allowed any form of noise in the cab whatsoever.

Perhaps its more unfortunate than fortunate that the tram company in the Netherlands are not under scrutiny. If there was a bad tram crash in the UK, you can bet that it would set the development of future tram networks back some way. There are crashes with road vehicles all the time, but that's usually the road vehicle's fault; I've never heard of a crash on the six or so operational systems we have that didn't involve a road vehicle (someone will inform me otherwise now I'm sure).

[Ameecher]

A Midland Metro slammed into the back of another in Wolverhampton in fog if I recall a while back. Obviously the fog played a major factor in that one!

[beeb375]

I'm sure that any public transport driver caught using a cellphone while driving whatever vehicle in the UK would be dismissed instantly, or at least given a severe penalty. I know for certain that UK train drivers are not allowed any form of noise in the cab whatsoever.

Most train drivers still have phones, in the staff room of a certain train station I've been in there are posters reminding drivers that 'Txt cn w8'

[Dave]

Mobile phone use by train drivers is strictly prohibited whilst a train is moving except in very exceptional circumstances.

Train drivers, however, are obliged to carry a company mobile phone as part of their work as they can ring control if their train develops a problem, amongst others.

Freight drivers are permitted to take personal equipment for the long festers they sometime endure - plenty of DB men I know carry portable DVD players, handheld games consoles and so on, as their train can sometimes be booked to wait at remote places for several hours (what would you do if you were charged with a P-Way train on the Far North Line - you could be there for anything up to six hours without any movement required. You'd be bored out of your mind! DVD please)

[Dave]

A Midland Metro slammed into the back of another in Wolverhampton in fog if I recall a while back. Obviously the fog played a major factor in that one!

Sure it was fog? I thought a technical problem caused the tram to run a signal on exiting the depot.

There have been plenty of accidents with the Mid Metro - mostly involving cars running lights.

[JamieLei]

Some drivers are notorious at blocking yellow boxes. If they block this particular one, they're an idiot, facing a tram racing 30mph down the road in the opposite direction.

[SmatZ]

That's crazy! Was he overspeed or something?

That was the reason. He wanted to get out of the intersection quickly, and accelerated too soon.

[dasy2k1]

Looks to me like he forgot he was on a double unit,

those PCC style cars (tatra t3s i think) can really shift and that kind of acceleration wouldent be that unusial for a single unit

still i thought he took the corner too fast anyway