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Driver of derailed train in Taiwan admits he turned off speed control system

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So things have been moving swiftly behind the scenes. Two pieces of the jigsaw now fit into place, the train's speed and the driver's testimony regarding the automatic braking system.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

How hard is it to put some kind of GPS governor on a train so that it can't enter a curve beyond a given speed? This stuff keeps happening in the US, too. They put a dude on the moon 50 years ago, and they can't make sure trains don't go too fast?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Echoes of Amagasaki here. That poor driver was blamed and was not alive to defend himself.

Easy to blame one sole driver. Chances are they are under schedule pressure from the controllers. Why else put himself at such risk too?

If management are responsible for pressuring the drivers, then they are responsible.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

How hard is it to put some kind of GPS governor on a train so that it can't enter a curve beyond a given speed?

There is a system. It is called Automatic Train Protection, but for some reason the driver disabled the system. Why a driver is allowed to do that to an operating train I do not know.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Easy to blame one sole driver. Chances are they are under schedule pressure from the controllers. Why else put himself at such risk too?

If management are responsible for pressuring the drivers, then they are responsible.

Come on, management isn't responsible for this accident even if they do pressure the driver. Any logical person knows not to go into a curve at DOUBLE the posted speed limit. And we're talking about a driver who (despite his experience) actually has a desk job and "helps" out when there is a driver shortage on the weekends.

The fact that the ATC system was activated TWICE during the trip in the first place, seems to point to a guy who had fallen behind schedule and was trying to make that time up again. Each time the emergency brakes are applied they have to be manually reset, from each carriage. That takes quite a bit of time.

How hard is it to put some kind of GPS governor on a train so that it can't enter a curve beyond a given speed? This stuff keeps happening in the US, too. They put a dude on the moon 50 years ago, and they can't make sure trains don't go too fast?

They already have a system like that. Its called ATC and its what the driver disabled.

People dont understand that a train doesn't behave like a car at all, you screw up or intentionally play dice with the laws of physics, you're going to lose big time.

I do not care what, the guy is an idiot. He needs to be put on ''death row'' for such idiotic behavior.

Arguably, sitting in a cell for a long time is going to be a much better punishment. This guy isn't a psychopath. He made a bad judgement call, I highly doubt it was premeditated. Now he has to try and live with that guilt.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The fact that the ATC system was activated TWICE during the trip in the first place, seems to point to a guy who had fallen behind schedule and was trying to make that time up again. Each time the emergency brakes are applied they have to be manually reset, from each carriage. That takes quite a bit of time.

You have just agreed with my post.

The controllers are constantly in communication and aware of delays and positioning. So they would have been aware of his catch up speed.

If it's your job and you have a family then you are going to do whatever to avoid late penalties. That is also the responsibility of management (no late penalty pressure, no accidents).

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Seeing some similarities with the Santiago de Compostela train crash in Spain in 2013.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela_derailment

1 ( +1 / -0 )

You have just agreed with my post.

The controllers are constantly in communication and aware of delays and positioning. So they would have been aware of his catch up speed.

If it's your job and you have a family then you are going to do whatever to avoid late penalties. That is also the responsibility of management (no late penalty pressure, no accidents).

Not really, I merely stated the sequence of events that led up to him speeding. However, in the end, he is the driver and even though he may have been pressured to make up as much time as possible, he should've known not to go into a corner at twice the posted limit.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Hard to believe the driver can turn it off without remote alarms whistling. Obviously not the best idea.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The suspect is you.

"You had been treated in hospital..."

Almost sounded like the "Choose your own adventure series" with the second person there.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Heard yet another conspiracy theory that the Chinese ("Mainlanders") are behind this - they doctored the Train in order to make the Japanese look bad, whilst the timing happened to coincide with the Sailing of the American Warship through the surrounding waters... I guess just like the others there's bound to be a lot of similar conspiracy theories popping up to provide traffic to peoples blogs. In this case, It's a simple fact, that a Train going too fast around a bend, is more likely to derail - as had happened here, and elsewhere within the World.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Let me see if we understand:

According to the train driver, the train's indicator wasn't showing its true speed, probably going slower than the indicated speed

So he switched off the system himself to boost the train's power when it had slowed down on an earlier stretch of the journey

The driver knew he had to turn the protection system back on, but he had failed to do so because he was busy communicating with other coordinators due to a separate problem with the train's speed

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Another report last night added that the driver slammed on the brakes to try and slow her down, but this probably also contributed to the loss of balance and derailment.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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