Train crash

[Aberdeenleaf]

Train crash near us today, it reminded me of something that's always bothered me about train travel - that being the fact there are no seatbelts anywhere.
Even the drivers don't wear any.
I obviously can't say for sure that seatbelts would have made any difference to the fatalities today, but I can't help thinking there's a fair chance the deaths and injuries were caused by being thrown around the inside of the cabins.
Why the hell aren't seatbelts even an options on trains??

 

[shodan]

It works cost a fortune to fit and maintain them, it isn't written in to law that they have to have them, if they go to the expense of fitting them then they need to justify it by there being a law instructing them to, government is not going to make that law.

 

[Aberdeenleaf]

It works cost a fortune to fit and maintain them, it isn't written in to law that they have to have them, if they go to the expense of fitting them then they need to justify it by there being a law instructing them to, government is not going to make that law.

I don't doubt you're right, it stands to reason that if it was law they'd be fitted.
But why isn't it law, when it is on the likes of coaches?
Very strange.

 

[Ruffuz]

I don't doubt you're right, it stands to reason that if it was law they'd be fitted.
But why isn't it law, when it is on the likes of coaches?
Very strange.

if they were to introduce them, everyone would have to have a seat?

 

[nvingo]

Seatbelts restrain the seat occupant in the event of an impact.
On the road, there are other unpredictable vehicles and your own vehicle isn't mechanically confined to a single lane with miles of empty track in front.
The risk of an impact by a train is extremely low, it is engineered out by timetables, signals and barrier-controlled crossings.

Then there's the freedom of passengers and staff to roam about the carriages, visiting the toilet and buffet car (or food trolley brought round) so there'll be unrestrained travellers.

 

[nheather]

if they were to introduce them, everyone would have to have a seat?

And to be honest, although they are terrible when the do happen, I doubt rail crashes are nowhere near as common as coach crashes. And when a train does crash or derail in a good majority of cases there are no serious injuries.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[noiseboy72]

Hi energy accidents involving trains are very rare. The last one in the UK was 2007. Because trains weight 100T+ the deceleration will normally be relatively gradual. Train windows are much stronger than those in a coach, so the chances of being thrown out of the train are much lower.

Train drivers need to be able to move around a little to operate the train and there's little evidence that seat belts for them would save their lives. The driver in the last Class 43 accident was killed due to ballast coming in through a side window and filling the driving cab. He had to be dug out by his colleagues. In this case, the cause of death will be investigated, but I would doubt that a seat belt would have helped the poor driver. The loco was totally burnt out and the cabs are basically a fibreglass pod sitting on the front of a 300T train, so being thrown out of your seat is probably the least of your worries.

 

[lowmans100]

This might help to explain, and the capacity of a train is not limited to the number of available seats. Unlike a flight when you buy a train ticket you don't pay for a seat you pay for the journey.

 

[rob99]

Looked pretty horrific on tv
news said it was heading back to Stonehaven as track was flooded
maybe fortunate we’re back on lockdown as would probably been a lot busier
that’s the worst thunderstorm for rain in my memory

 

[mcbainne]

Absolutely tragic event, as Rob says the only positive is there weren't many passangers onboard or it could have been much worse

 

[mitchec1]

I wasn't going to post on this but this will be my only post on this for obvious reasons.

Hopefully the RAIB will be allowed to do it's job without supposition and quite frankly the utter bollocks being posted by the likes of sky news.

The families of the deceased and injured are owed the facts and don't need to hear rumours or so called insider's talking. Anyone from the industry talking to the press outside the official lines needs their arse kicked.

There will be people in the NOC who have to look at themselves in the mirror this morning second guessing everything they did, most likely following all the correct procedures of running a unit on the line.

On what was a nightmare day, and pretty obvious to those of us with access to certain systems aware of the details I'd like to thank the emergency services again.

Day in day out across the railway network they're the unsung heroes, dealing with a whole host of problems and while I've been to enough incidents can only begin to imagine what they had to deal with.

A tragic day for the families and the industry, hopefully never to be repeated