Can anyone explain to me how this is not the easiest transportation crash in the world to prevent?
Presumably every train knows what track it’s on and what direction it’s going, and presumably that data is being transmitted to some central authority.
Why have a system that even allows 2 trains to be on a collision course within a hundred miles of each other? No human operator should be able to choose to override command.
The control system for that 60km section had failed, leading to an automatic stop command to all trains. Controllers took over manual operations. Some idiot ordered one of the trains in question to proceed at full line speed. It crashed into the back of the train in front at around 100km/h.
But how does a control system like that fail?
It seems like a pretty simple system, and one that wouldn’t be very expensive to harden/have redundancy/battery back up/etc.
I agree with you. This is the same system that causes a lot of delays in Germany. I don’t understand why trains aren’t tracked by GPS in addition to the rail signals. It shouldn’t be that hard to upgrade if the willing to do so exists
It’s not the will, it’s the money.
Agreed except:
No human operator should be able to choose to override command
A specialist should always be able to supersede the machine. Maybe “no single human” or some such, but I always want man commanding machine.