Are computers to blame in another deadly crash? Or was the train involved in the D.C. transit collision too old to be used?
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recent trian wreck The deadly train collision earlier this week, just outside of Washington DC, killed nine people and injured more than 70. Experts immediately began to search through the wreckage trying to find out what went wrong. The collision occurred at the border between Washington and Maryland during evening rush hour. It was the deadliest train crash in the 33-year history of the Metrorail service.
According to reports, the trains were headed towards downtown Washington at around 5 p.m. One train had stopped on the tracks waiting to arrive at Fort Totten station when a second train smashed into the back of it. More bodies were found this morning when a crane removed parts of the crushed train and discovered them. If you have seen pictures, you can see the back of the train raised off the ground.
Metrorail was designed with a signal system that uses on-board computers to control speed. The system also automatically applies the brakes to maintain safe distance between trains. This was posted in the Times Online – a quote from Debbie Hersman, of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), regarding the signal system. “We need to see if that system was actually what was being used at the time and if there were any faults. We’re going to be looking at the tracks, at the signal system and at the train operation to understand what happened.”
The NTSB had warned of safety issues and recommended the old fleet of trains used by the Metrorail be phased out. The older trains do not have up-to-date recording devices (similar to a Black Box) as the newer models do – so it could be awhile before experts know what happened or how fast the train was moving.
It’s heartbreaking to read these kinds of stories in the news. Mass transit accidents create uncertainty in the public and may build distrust to those operating the train, plane or bus and now, with computers used more than ever, the operating system could be an unseen enemy.