[SystemSafety] Tram Accident in Croydon

Wed Nov 16 16:45:15 CET 2016

Train was doing 43.5mph in 12mph zone.

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38003934 

Quote from train driver's union:

Aslef, the train drivers' union, said it was "clear that the lack of adequate safety systems were at the root of this dreadful accident".

District organiser Finn Brennan said a system to make sure trams travelling too quickly in a potentially dangerous area can be slowed down and stopped should be put in place, as on the mainline railway and London Underground. 

"If it had been then this awful event could have been avoided," he said.

Kevin
--
Usual disclaimers.

-----Original Message-----
From: systemsafety [mailto:systemsafety-bounces at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de] On Behalf Of Peter Bishop
Sent: 11 November 2016 09:39
To: systemsafety at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de
Subject: Re: [SystemSafety] Tram Accident in Croydon

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Re 12 mph / 20 kph limit

Could this be an issue of the wrong speed units?
I.e. driver thinks the limit is 20*mph*?

Peter Bishop

On 10/11/2016 11:45, Peter Bernard Ladkin wrote:
> On 2016-11-10 09:36 , Andreoli, Kevin (UK) wrote:
>> I suspect the reason rail type safety is apparently not installed 
>> will be down to the thinking that Trams are Buses on rails and not Tram = Train. .....
> 
> The engineering involved will all have been by professional light-rail 
> people well acquainted with the hazards of rail operation, of which 
> overspeed in a changing track configuration is a very well known one, 
> as is driver incapacity. I don't expect any comment on this list from 
> UK rail engineers, but I wouldn't be surprised if at least one person reading this is thinking "you know, we did say......"
> 
> The trams themselves are (first batch) Bombardier Flexity Swift CR4000 
> sets built in Vienna. They apparently do have a "deadmans's handle" 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_CR4000
> 
> The second batch are Stadler Variobahn sets 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variobahn Stadler The Variobahn is a 
> Bombardier design (originally called Variotram), manufacture of which was taken over by Stadler in 2001 (according to the Wikipedia page).
> 
> I wrote:
>> It is the first fatal accident on UK rail/tram lines in 12 years,
> 
> This is not so. It is maybe the first one in that time not involving 
> system-external agency (even that is questionable - see 2016.08.07 
> below). The Wikipedia page on TfL Tramlink https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramlink says:
> 
>> On 7 September 2008, a bus on route 468 travelled through a red 
>> traffic signal and collided with tram
>> 2534 in George Street, Croydon. The impact caused the death of a 
>> passenger who was reported to have been thrown through the upper front window of the bus.......
>>
>> On 13 September 2008, tram 2530 collided with a cyclist at Morden 
>> Hall Park footpath crossing between Morden Road and Phipps Bridge tram stops. The cyclist sustained injuries from which he later died.
> 
> And I read on the RAIB WWW site of four other fatal accidents in 2016 
> alone 
> https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/raib-current-investigations
> -register/rail-accident-investigation-branch-current-investigations
> 
> 
> 2016.02.23 a pedestrian was struck by a train on a pedestrian level 
> crossing
> 2016.08.07 a passenger on a train struck his head on a signal gantry
> 2016.08.15 a pedestrian was struck by a tram
> 2016.10.05 a mobility-scooter user was struck at a level crossing
> 
> I also said:
>> The corner is apparently posted at 12 mph = 19 kph
> 
> I took that figure from the newspaper report. The RAIB says it is 
> posted at 20km/h 
> https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fatal-tram-accident-in-croydon
> 
> PBL
> 
> Prof. Peter Bernard Ladkin, Bielefeld, Germany MoreInCommon Je suis 
> Charlie
> Tel+msg +49 (0)521 880 7319  www.rvs-bi.de
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> The System Safety Mailing List
> systemsafety at TechFak.Uni-Bielefeld.DE
> 

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Peter Bishop
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