RSS Feed
New York City - D.C. Train Crash Has NYers Asking About Safety |
|
| |
Text Size
|
DC crash
The National Transportation Safety Board had already told the Washington transit system to replace the car that “telescoped” on Monday, after it collapsed in a 1996 crash. The MTA doesn’t use this car, but a spokesman said the agency would “incorporate” any “applicable” safety recommendations from the NTSB investigation.
“Their system is vastly different than ours,” said NYC Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges.
D.C. trains are computer-controlled, but New York’s run on a century-old fixed-block signal system that keeps trains apart between stations and means slower speeds. The subway may top out at 40 mph, but the Metro can reach up to 59 mph.
The L is the only New York line with computer-run signals, but it’s had no accidents since starting a year ago. Operators also can take control of the train, unlike in the Metro’s 1996 crash, which was attributed to computer failure.
That didn’t allay the fears of rider Alex Phillipe. “The [system] is old. Every time you get on a train, you never know,” he said.
More of today's headlines
“Westchester County, NY - An AirTran plane that left from Westchester County Airport bound for West Palm Beach, Fla., made an unscheduled landing in Philadelphia...” Westchester County, NY - Passenger Dies in Flight; Plane Diverted
North Bergen, NJ - Judge Denies Bail For White Supremacist Radio Host Hal Turner
Total5
Read Comments (5) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 25, 2009 at 02:29 PM Anonymous Says:
I thought that the L line was the experiment and then they are going to try it on other lines. Anybody know out there?
2
Jun 25, 2009 at 10:17 PM Anonymous Says:
1 person is killed by a driver in NYC every other day... New Yorkers fail to ask "is driving safe?"
3
Jun 26, 2009 at 05:51 AM Shlomo Says:
This is the problem of risk perception: we see a significant event and think it is a big problem. An airplane crash or the Metro accident get lots of attention and it drives people to think "this is a problem." #2 is right in asking "is driving safe?"
Using the L line as an example of safety ("The L is the only New York line with computer-run signals, but it’s had no accidents since starting a year ago") is not fair. How many trains, how many hours of operation, and how many miles traveled between accidents or failures (hitting another train is an accident but a major safety failure such as entering an occupied "block" is just as bad (just more lucky)). And what are the number for other, busier lines?
I'm not a fan of the MTA but I don't worry when I get on the subway (I just worry when
I pay the (increasing) fare, wait too long for a train, can't find a seat, etc.)
4
Jun 26, 2009 at 08:10 AM Anonymous Says:
What about the recent story that the late night L keeps missing the platform? When the computer is "driving", it has to skip some stops because it can't go backwards when it overshoots the station by a few feet. Imagine that happening on every line, or during rush hour. Deploying this across the entire system is years away.
5
Jun 26, 2009 at 08:20 AM Railfan Says:
An accident such as this is virtually impossible here. the NYC Subway has mechanical failsafes that will trip the brakes if the train runs a red light. You can see them yourself, the little yellow T-shaped thing that pops up next to the track when the light is red. 100-year-old technology, but it works. I have personally been on trains that were stopped by this system twice.