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TGV Accident Caused By Excessive Speed (railwaygazette.com)
Cochonou writes: Analysis of the black boxes of the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) which derailed on Saturday revealed that the accident resulted from excessive speed and late braking. The test train entered a 945m-radius curve at a speed of 265 km/h, far over the maximum speed of 176 km/h. The French national railway company ruled out any other cause, such as mechanical failure or track mishap.
During test runs, a number of security features are disabled, in particular parts of the TVM system, which would have prevented any overspeed during normal service. This leaves the train speed under the sole responsibility of the driver.
The accident, which killed 11 people, occurred on the last run of the scheduled trials on the new high-speed line between Paris and Strasbourg. As more details on the accident surface, it becomes evident that this last run was performed in a festive spirit, with relatives (including children) of the employees on board, and seven people present in the train cab instead of train. This casts a shadow on the security procedures of the French national railway company: it appears that the high-speed train technology is considered so safe that the risks inherent to trials runs were somehow neglected. The two drivers and the traction inspector have been suspended pending possible criminal charges. Other changes in the management structure will probably follow.
During test runs, a number of security features are disabled, in particular parts of the TVM system, which would have prevented any overspeed during normal service. This leaves the train speed under the sole responsibility of the driver.
The accident, which killed 11 people, occurred on the last run of the scheduled trials on the new high-speed line between Paris and Strasbourg. As more details on the accident surface, it becomes evident that this last run was performed in a festive spirit, with relatives (including children) of the employees on board, and seven people present in the train cab instead of train. This casts a shadow on the security procedures of the French national railway company: it appears that the high-speed train technology is considered so safe that the risks inherent to trials runs were somehow neglected. The two drivers and the traction inspector have been suspended pending possible criminal charges. Other changes in the management structure will probably follow.
You would have been wrong, anyway. There's no mystery whatsoever what happens for a particular turn radius, center of gravity, turn bank, and speed. Someone with the necessary information can calculate the derail speed within a few mph. There's nothing to be learned by trying to test the limits.
I used to think the same way... then I had to go from Portland to Seattle on business... a lot.
Turns out that the train takes the same amount of travel time (esp. when you factor in traffic), and when you add up gas and the cost of parking in Downtown Seattle (where even hotels will charge something like $40/day), it is actually somewhat *cheaper* than driving. Seattle is small enough size-wise to make most of it walkable without too much trouble.
I'd much rather sit in a fairly cozy seat on the train, plug in the laptop, maybe grab something to eat, and have a drink or two (even coach does this). Much superior to shouting at traffic IMHO.
Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?