NTSB: D.C. signal system didn't detect test train

[pickel]

Imagine that

The Associated Press: NTSB: D.C. signal system didn't detect test train

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that the train control system lost detection of a test train that was stopped in the same place as the train that was struck on Monday.


Tests by the NTSB on Wednesday raised the possibility that trains passing through a 740-foot stretch where the collision occurred could have had trouble receiving signals to stop or slow down. Officials stopped short of saying whether the circuit was broken, refusing to elaborate on the "anomalies" that testers found. Five other stretches of track in the area of the crash near the Maryland state line showed no problems.


Since the crash, the NTSB has also criticized Metro for failing to revamp or replace its 1000-series rail cars after previous warnings by the agency. The striking train, which sustained most of the damage in Monday's crash, was made up of those cars, which date back to the 1970s. The cars are not as good at withstanding crashes as later models.


Obomba better dish out another Billion to fix the damn subway.

[no1_vern]

The trains that crashed on the Washington Metro depended on a 33-year-old automated control system widely used in cities across the United States, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

But public transit officials say a crash like the one in Washington is unlikely to happen in other cities that rely on a similar automated system, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Francisco, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Miami, Florida; and Atlanta, Georgia.

Yeah, anyone taking bets against it?

[pickel]

'Anomalies' discovered in Metro track control circuit - CNN.com

Are Holmes and Watson working overtime.

Anomalies my @$$

[vass0922]

DC metro has had a hard time making money in the past few years IIRC
Massive numbers of riders, but just not making money.. poor mgmt? dunno
They've raised prices for the metro so much that people are finding it cheaper to just drive, and pay for parking.

So its not overly suprising (albeit depressing) if a few shortcuts have been taken here and there :-/

[Gomer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vass0922

DC metro has had a hard time making money in the past few years IIRC
Massive numbers of riders, but just not making money.. poor mgmt? dunno
They've raised prices for the metro so much that people are finding it cheaper to just drive, and pay for parking.

So its not overly suprising (albeit depressing) if a few shortcuts have been taken here and there :-/

It's not unique to the Metro.

All of our infrastructure is crumbling. Allocating funds for maintenance isn't sexy. And the cost of repairing failed systems increases exponentially with the amount of time the maintenance is delayed.

[Chuckiechan]

Quote:

DC metro has had a hard time making money in the past few years IIRC
Massive numbers of riders, but just not making money.. poor mgmt? dunno
They've raised prices for the metro so much that people are finding it cheaper to just drive, and pay for parking.

It's because it's still too cheap.

You have the expense of an airplane and you are traveling passenger car distances, for bus fare money.

If you can't cover you expenses - maintenance is one of them - they you have to charge more. Don't forget the auto owner pays for his own maintenance.

[pickel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckiechan

It's because it's still too cheap.

You have the expense of an airplane and you are traveling passenger car distances, for bus fare money.

If you can't cover you expenses - maintenance is one of them - they you have to charge more. Don't forget the auto owner pays for his own maintenance.

How much are the lawsuits going to cost them ?? I'm sure they have insurance, but the public will find another mode of travel, reducing their income and if they raise their prices will lose even more revenue. Should have fixed it RIGHT in the first place. Dumbass management, just like the rest of corporate America. Screwing you and me. People are on the verge of " I'm Mad as hell and won't take it anymore" mentality and change will come.