[SystemSafety] Tram Accident in Croydon

[Andreoli, Kevin (UK)]

Peter,

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.  I would be surprised if the average London Bus averages more than a few mph/kph, and most people think of a Tram doing similar speeds.

Kevin
--
Usual disclaimers regarding my opinion not my employer's.


-----Original Message-----
From: systemsafety [mailto:systemsafety-bounces at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de] On Behalf Of Peter Bernard Ladkin
Sent: 10 November 2016 06:16
To: The System Safety List
Subject: [SystemSafety] Tram Accident in Croydon

South London has a tram service, running from Beckenham in the east to Wimbledon in the west, via Croydon. In Croydon, it uses partially some former railway lines, so I guess it is standard gauge, 1.435m, rather than the 1m gauge which is often used.

Apparently the trams are capable of 50 mph = 80 kph. There is a sharp corner on the rail lines, after a tunnel, coming into the Sandilands stop in Croydon. The corner is apparently posted at 12 mph = 19 kph. Initial reports say a tram was taking the corner too fast. It derailed and turned onto its side. Time and date are around 06.10 GMT = UTC on 2016.11.09.

7 people have been killed, 50 injured. It is the first fatal accident on UK rail/tram lines in 12 years, and in terms of the number killed the worst since Potters Bar in May 2002 (also 7 killed, but 50% more injured, at 76).

There are anecdotes (with names of passengers to them) that the corner is occasionally taken too fast by other trams. Initial reports have the driver self-reporting to a passenger that he thinks he blacked out. The driver has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/09/croydon-tram-crash-kills-at-least-seven-and-injures-more-than-50

It is 82 years since the INDUSI emergency-braking system was introduced to German railways. In the meantime, automatic braking systems are widely available, and should have been no problem to install in a new-build rail system such as this. "Dead man's" handles/pedals are standard installation in rail cabs in many countries, including Britain. Surely a sharp corner following an extended straight stretch on segregated lines is an obvious place to look at installing protection. I wonder why it wasn't done?

PBL

Prof. Peter Bernard Ladkin, Bielefeld, Germany MoreInCommon Je suis Charlie
Tel+msg +49 (0)521 880 7319  www.rvs-bi.de





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