Re: Train Accident in Blue Mountains

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <82a03m$ms7$1@merki.connect.com.au> "Rod Gayford" <rjaygee@smartchat.net.au> writes:
>From: "Rod Gayford" <rjaygee@smartchat.net.au>
>Subject: Re: Train Accident in Blue Mountains
>Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 14:01:46 +1100

>Well, how come the V set hit at 50 KPH if correct procedures are being
>followed. If Glenbrook station was manned at that time surely the station
>staff could have told the driver of the V set that the IP had just left at a
>crawl or is that not their job. Procedures followed to the nth degree can
>lead to disaster. A bit of commonsense and discretion is called for. Its
>still all too horrible to contemplate.
>Rod Gayford


Given that at the current stage , the causes of this accident are unknown, and 
that the correct thing to do is to wait until the inquiry reports, in the 
interim surely it would be prudent to not assume anything about the state of 
the signalling system in force, as its role in the causes / effect of this 
accident are yet to be determined.
If this is the case,now that the line has been re opened, are trains currently 
procceeding down the line using the same signalling system, and if so why, 
given that until the inquiry reports, we cannot be certain that the signalling 
system is safe.
It would seem to me that in the interim , absolute block working would need to 
be implemented and the signalling system switched off.

Comments.
MD