Re: News about fire on train near Linden Blue Mountains

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@pcug.org.au>]

"Dennis Rittson" <drittson@cia.com.au> wrote in message
397E14E1.F48D57BD@cia.com.au">news:397E14E1.F48D57BD@cia.com.au...
> Peter Homann wrote:
>
> > Blaze drama: Six people were taken to hospital and up to 80 terrified
> > passengers escaped by kicking in the windows of an inter-urban train
> > that caught fire last night in the Blue Mountains.
> > Picture: Scott Webster

Perhaps I'm a bit pedantic, but wouldn't they have been kicking the windows
out rather than in?
>
> Police also assisted by smashing windows with batons in order that
> passengers could escape the fumes from what appeared to be a burning
> aircon unit in the roof of the leading car.
>
> Passengers on the train complained that the emergency door opening could
> not be got working. This is because all passenger trains in NSW have had
> the emergency door openers disabled, as an additional safety feature.

It's hardly an additional safety feature in times like these.  It's about
time the lack of emergency exits, and associated evacuation procedures from
trains in NSW was seriously addressed before lives are lost.  Virtually none
of the requirements of the US Federal Railroad Administration regarding
emergency preparedness have been adopted here - some day we will pay with
loss of life.  For the US requirements, go to
http://www.fra.dot.gov/s/regs/uscode/epr/

Regards

David Bennetts
Canberra