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In France, TGV Test Train Catches Fire, Derails, Killing 10 (mirror.co.uk)

Posted by timothy on from the bad-weekend-continues dept.

McGruber writes with the Mirror's report that: Earlier today in Eckwersheim, France, TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) 2369 Test Train caught fire, derailed and overturned. Two carriages were partially submerged into a river and at least five people were killed. As of now, there are no direct links with the terrorist attacks on Paris and the train crash does not appear to have been caused deliberately. A TGV test train holds the record for the fastest wheeled train, having reached 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph) on 3 April 2007. Today's derailment appears to have been the first fatal crash of a TGV while running at high speed.
NBC News reports that 10 people were killed, all employees of the French national railway system.

4 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Overspeed kills by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Driving faster than the tracks allow is dangerous regardless of the absolute speed. Die Mariazellerbahn in Austria showed this quite clearly in 1981. A train was driving too fast, derailed on a bridge and the locomotive fell off and killed the driver. I can't find the actual speed or speed restriction, but with a locomotive top speed of 50 km/h, it would be a high speed accident in slow motion. It was the first AC electric locomotive class btw, operating from 1911 to 2013 and the other 15 engines survived all those years of daily operation. Modern engineers could learn something about durability from studying those.

  2. Fire before the accident? by phayes · · Score: 4, Informative

    Says who? From pictures I've seen any fire was _after_ the accident and pretty limited. Who exactly is spreading this (dis)information?

    --
    Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
  3. Test train, no regular passengers by GuB-42 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just as a reminder, this is a test train crash, not in service, only 49 people inside, all employees.
    Excessive speed may be the cause but it is yet unconfirmed.

    I don't believe in a link with terrorists attacks. What terrorist would attack a test train? Especially one that is has nothing special. For a successful train attack, it is probably the one that will get you the least attention.

  4. Re:Maginot Line Repeat? by Eunuchswear · · Score: 4, Informative

    That's because the US has Greens while France doesn't. We can only dream of being 85 percent nuclear.

    So, how many seats did the US Green party get in the last elections? Here in France they have 17 MP's, 12 senators and 6 MEP's.

    --
    Watch this Heartland Institute video