Washington Subway Trains in Collision
- Thread starter cheeseyfatmonkey
- Start date
^ this isn't uncommon. It's not all computer controlled. Metro is full of merging tracks and construction inn top of fatigue, it was bound to happen.
One must have rear-ended the other; they don't seem to know yet.
This sounds pretty bad. Four dead, more than forty taken to the hospital and lots still trapped at last report. I hope there are no more fatalities.
This sounds pretty bad. Four dead, more than forty taken to the hospital and lots still trapped at last report. I hope there are no more fatalities.
^There may be more fatalitlies. Many of the injuries are serious, and a few are said to be life-threatning. Around 100 injured total.
They're not even sure they got everyone off the trains yet. (according to my local news)
ETA- death toll now six.
Around 100 injured total.They're not even sure they got everyone off the trains yet. (according to my local news)
ETA- death toll now six.
Last edited:
Unfortunately, mistakes happen. There was a collision on Toronto's subway system back in 1995 that was a case of an operator mis-reading a signal (they're not as simple as green-red-yellow) and his train ended up running into another at the end of the line.
Tragic as these things are (and I hope that there are no more fatalities in this incident
) they're thankfully and remarkably few and far between.
^I was wondering about you! Glad you're okay.
As I said in the TNZ thread, I really do hope this is human error, 'cus if it isn't that does not bode well for trust in the system. I'm still mystified by how extreme this is, considering all the redundancies.
Fatal accidents are terrible, period. But it is always more disheartening and sudden when it happens on mass transit. For one thing, there are no restraints. And there's usually no warning.
I can't believe they're still looking for bodies.
Fatal accidents are terrible, period. But it is always more disheartening and sudden when it happens on mass transit. For one thing, there are no restraints. And there's usually no warning.
I can't believe they're still looking for bodies.
Presumably you didn't need to pass that point on the tracks for your trip?
I've heard of mass transit systems having mechanisms that automatically stop trains passing red signals if the train operator doesn't stop the train before reaching the signal. I don't know if the metro DC area system has that type of equipment. The signals are supposed to automatically display red if there's a train in the next block on that track and yellow (direction to reduce speed) if there's a train in the second block ahead. The signals would normally reflect yellow or red when switches would route the train to parallel tracks occupied by trains past the switch.
Now the death toll is up to nine. And they're still not sure if they've found everybody.
I'm fine, out of town until August 
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
Weird... this morning NPR said the death toll was actually seven, not nine, but now it's nine again.
So far, no one I know was there, but I know a *lot* of people out there...
Anyone hear from flamingliberal, or Dennis yet?
So far, no one I know was there, but I know a *lot* of people out there...
Anyone hear from flamingliberal, or Dennis yet?
flamingliberal is in Baltimore, DC's cheaper, frumpier sister-city. Additionally, when worried about members who are prolific posters, a quick search usually does the trick. But only for checking in, not for stalking.
Similar threads
