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

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.

Comments

Fire before the accident?

[phayes]

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

Test train, no regular passengers

[GuB-42]

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.

Re:Speed to blame says Guardian

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm surprised they haven't been attacked before now.

What did you think the French Resistance did throughout WW2?

The reason civilians aren't being killed en masse every day isn't because nobody's thought of a way to do it, nor because we have near-perfect security services, but because nearly everybody alive has no desire whatsoever to commit mass murder. But humans have no conception of statistics, so we get hysterical over 0.0002% of Muslims in France attacking under 0.01% of Parisiens, even while routine transport accidents kill hundreds every day throughout Europe. (And don't get me start on genuine suicide through mental illness, which receives less and less attention of health services.)

N.B. I still think those responsible in France are murderous bastards. My mother studied in Paris and I've enjoyed a lot of time there. But I am capable of putting things in proportion.

Re:Maginot Line Repeat?

[hackertourist]

Don't be an idiot. Since 1981, the TGV lines have carried one billion passengers without loss of life.

The accident was on a newly-constructed line not open to passengers yet. They have thoroughly simulated both the trains and the line, but at some point you have to switch from simulations and actually run a train on your new track.

And let's wait for the accident report before mouthing off about imagined incompetence, huh?

Re:Speed to blame says Guardian

[Dutch Gun]

Most people understand and accept the risks of accidental deaths for the sake of modern conveniences, like driving in cars, flying commercial airliners, and of course, taking trains like this. The reason we react the way we do to terrorism is because it's a deliberate, cold-hearted act of barbarity that takes the lives of innocent people for the sake of politics, ideology, religion, or some combination thereof. The tragedy of the Paris attacks is not that so many people died. As you point out, probably more people died in traffic accidents that day in Europe. The tragedy is that those people died so needlessly.

While this presumed accident is sad, particularly for the family and friends of the victim, they can take comfort in knowing that perhaps this will lead to safer operations for others in the future. We tend to learn our hardest lessons from accidents like these. Hopefully future trains will be safer as a result of the investigation into whatever went wrong here.

Re:Maginot Line Repeat?

[Eunuchswear]

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.