Santiago rail tragedy: Driver held for questioning over 'excess speed', but experts say modern controls make breaking the limit 'impossible'
Friday, July 26, 2013 @ 10:59 AM
THE driver of the train which crashed and broke into three killing 80 people and injuring 111 more has been summoned for questioning as excessive speed is cited as a cause of the tragedy – but rail engineering experts are flummoxed, saying modern control systems would 'not allow' a driver to break the speed limit.
New trains – and the ALVIA line which derailed and shattered was just two years old – are controlled by track equipment linked to controls in the driver's cab, which automatically regulates speed, preventing the train from going any faster than the track limit.
This control, known as the European Train Control System, means it is impossible for a driver to break the speed limit, but was not in place on the bend where the accident occurred.
Instead, a signal notification and automatic braking system, or ASFA, was in place, which sends light flares to warn the driver of excess speed and finally brakes automatically if the driver ignores these.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com