Tragic Derailment - VIA Rail

[Charlie B]

I don't think it will take a year to learn the cause of the accident, but the Transportation Safety Board of Canada usually extends these investigations to include recommendations to prevent similar incidents. Let's hope that they're more knowledgeable about railroads than most of the reporters and newsreaders covering this story.

Wayne

I have to agree the coverage has been very confusing. I was trying to figure how the train ended on its side on the right side of the track when it was crossing over, It now apears it was crossing at a right hand crossover which would open the possibility of a wreck of this fasion. It seems they are jumping on the fact there was a student engineer on board. He was 40 years old, so I doubt he would be speeding intentionally. It is possible that he didn't understand that the signal was diverging instead of mainline, thus failing to slow, but with two other engineers in the cab I find this highly unlikely. For what speed is that crossover designed and what is track speed through it?
Believe it or not, a missing cotter pin in the pin that holds the butterfly on a switch could allow a derailment like this.
Railroading requires you to be alert at all times. the equipment is very unforgiving.
Charlie