Re: Big train wreck in England! - 70 Dead?

["Michael McDonald" <michael.and.colleen.mcdonald@xtra.co.nz>]

"Thoughts about safety" may be a bit of an over-reaction.  After all, not
many people give up flying because of a place crash, or driving on the road
because of a crash, and so on ...  Compared to the roads, the railways are a
comparatively safe mode of travel.  Just think ... how many people are
killed on the roads in Gt Britain each day?  (NZ's figures are about 2/day
for a population of about 3M).

OTOH, if the railways should ensure that their systems are as reliable and
safe as possible.  If there is a demonstrable problem, and it appears to be
case this time, then the system whould be fixed.

We have the technology these days for all signalling (and instructions) to
be displayed in the cab - and for automatic action if the train should
exceed authorised speeds.  We could do away with almost all of the fixed
signals.  Hi-rail vehicles, with their on-again off-again antics could pose
a bit of problem - but I doubt if the problem is insoluble.  How about
signalling be transmitted via the Internet, with radio links to and from the
trains and various detectors etc.?

Just out of interest, NZ has developed a nice little bit of technology - two
"suitcases" which will enable any locomotive (capable of mutiple unit
control) to be controlled remotely.  The first "suitcase", which is attached
to the loco's connectors, behaves as the lead loco.  The other "suitcase" is
the driver's controls, allowing the driver to control the train while
coupling/uncoupling and shunting.  Details are in the latest issue of
"Rails".  It is obvious that a lot of thought has gone in to the security of
the radio transmissions.

Regards
Michael

David Ready <ds_ready@usa.net> wrote in message
eZYK3.850$e6.309752@amsnews02.chello.com">news:eZYK3.850$e6.309752@amsnews02.chello.com...
>
> We were in London for business last Friday. We drove from The Netherlands
to
> Maidstone. I was considering leaving the car at Maidstone and catching the
> train to London but instead we decided to drive in. The cost of the
parking
> station behind Harrod's was £23 for 8 hours but I made the comment to my
> partner, "that would still be cheaper than two return tickets to
Maidstone".
> Now instead of cost being the consideration it will be the question of
> safety. The BBC is right in saying that confidence has been shattered and
> "this will be the turning point in British rail safety". We can't wait to
> come back home to Sydney once our contract is finished here.
>
> David
>
>