Train derailment near Olympia: Officials pushed aggressive timeline

[brooklynite]

Source: Seattle Times

Train derailment near Olympia: Officials pushed ‘aggressive’ timeline before safety technology was ready

The corridor where an Amtrak train derailed Monday was years in the making. But in recent months, officials were confronting a mix of deadlines.

State transportation leaders had long ago envisioned the corridor would be refurbished by 2019, according to state records, but to collect federal stimulus money, construction had to be completed by mid-2017. The state then vowed to open the line this fall.

Officials kept that promise, launching the new Point Defiance Bypass route on Monday. But had they waited just a few more months, the service would have included a critical safety feature that automatically slows trains if they exceed speed limits.

Investigators are still determining why the train went into a curve at 80 mph in a 30 mph zone before jumping the tracks, killing at least three people and injuring dozens more. But the accident raises questions about the decision to start the new passenger line before the safety technology, known as positive train control, was scheduled to be fully operational next spring.

Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/train-derailment-near-olympia-officials-pushed-aggressive-timeline-before-safety-technology-was-ready/

[SCVDem]

1. Sounds like a ship named Titanic.

PTC is just another regulation dump will kill!

[gopiscrap]

3. wow that's exactly what we've been saying

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Related links:

Last edited Wed Dec 20, 2017, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)

Passenger Trains > Situational Awareness

One comment:

Date: 12/19/17 17:12
Re: Situational Awareness
Author: WW

chico Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Well it's time to figure it out

As one who works with communications systems, I can tell you that PTC has a level of complexity to implement about as challenging as deploying a complete new and separate cellular telephone system along every mile of track where PTC will be used. It's a massive undertaking, and much of the technology that will be needed to implement it is still in the development stage. Its cost and complexity is about like the current railroad radio system times about 1,000. The implementation cost could easily spiral to levels sufficient to bankrupt a number of the railroads. Then what? Tap the taxpayers? They aren't even willing to fully fund the maintenance of their sacred cow highway system, much less anything to do with rail infrastructure.

I also think that it's way early to speculate as to whether or not PTC would have prevented this incident. Suffice it to say that technology can never fully cure what happens when the operator of any piece of equipment loses situational awareness, if, in fact, that is what happened here.

Passenger Trains > 'rail aficionado' killed in Train 501 Accident Article

Passenger Trains > The other high speed curve wreck

Passenger Trains > NTSB: Preliminary evidence Amtk 501 travelling 80 MPH

Western Railroad Discussion > Cascades Wreck: Greek tragedy on the Point Defiance Bypass

Passenger Trains > Pt Defiance Bypass Bridge/History Info

Passenger Trains > Anybody know the history of that curve that derailed the Cascade?

Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about Amtrak train derailment near Olympia

Originally published December 18, 2017 at 8:12 pm Updated December 20, 2017 at 8:40 am