Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

UK Train Crash

  • 24-02-2007 12:52pm
    #1
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 42,129 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I presume you all heard about this by now. Thankfully only one person (touchwood) has died.
    Richard Branson who owns the company (Virgin) stressed the safety features of the Pendolino and said he feared the accident could have been much worse if it had involved an old train. He said the train was "built like a tank", the carriages stayed together, remained in one piece and many windows did not even break.
    Makes you wonder if it happened on the sligo line...

    RB also claimed that the driver managed to steer the train away from further danger - how do you steer a train?


Comments

  • #2
    BuffyBot
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,924 ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    Makes you wonder if it happened on the sligo line...

    To be slightly flippant, I wouldn't worry about that until the trains on the Sligo line are going 95 mph.

    The Pendilino really did prove itself this time, it must be said. Despite not being the most comfortable train to run on the UK railways, it's safety features are actually pretty good. I think it would be interesting to compare what safety features IE's new stock is being fitted with.


  • #3
    A Dub in Glasgo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,785 ✭✭✭✭A Dub in Glasgo


    I was on the 13.46 Pendolino from London Euston to Glasgow yesterday :eek:

    It really is great that the train design has minimised fatalities. The thing that concerns me is the suspected points failure. The points nearest to the accident site are a double set of emergency crossovers to allow single line working. They are operated locally at the site and are designed to fail in a safe manner, this should mean that rail traffic is stopped in the event of failure. To me, this appears to indicate another Potters Bar type of failure.

    Some facts for those who do not know the rail set up in Britain:

    Train Operator: Virgin West Coast
    Train Maintainer: Alsthom
    Train Owner: Angel Trains (owned by Royal Bank of Scotland)
    Infrastructure Owner: Network Rail
    Infrastructure Maintainer: Network Rail


Advertisement