German train crash

[saaby93]

Einion Yrth said:

Accidents https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abermule_train_colli... are always possible where human beings are involved.

That was complicated. Setting aside the personalities involved - which tablet went where?

[matchmaker]

saaby93 said:

Einion Yrth said:

Accidents https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abermule_train_colli... are always possible where human beings are involved.

That was complicated. Setting aside the personalities involved - which tablet went where?

Actually pretty simple. Lack of communication. Train arrives and the tablet is passed to a member of the station staff. The tablet is not then placed in the tablet instrument, but instead is passed to another member of the station staff who in turn passes it back to the train. Nobody checks it, especially the train crew. As LTC Rolt said in "Red for Danger" "They signed their death warrant". Train departs. Crash!

Subsequently, in most locations, the starter signals controlling entry to the single line were electrically locked with the token instuments so that they couldn't be cleared unless a token had been released for entry into the section.

[dudleybloke]

The train controller has been arrested for causing the crash with investigators saying he was playing a game on his mobile phone just before the accident.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36025951