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The MBCR can communicate with riders, sort of
By Lyss on Wed, 03/26/2008 - 10:55pm
After yesterday's crash, a Commuter Rail-riding friend (who was not on that train) got this email today from the powers that be:
Subject: Providence/Stoughton Disruption 3.25.2008
TO ALL OUR PROVIDENCE / STOUGHTON LINE CUSTOMERS
At approximately 5:15p.m. Tuesday evening March 25, 2008, Stoughton train #917, upon approaching Canton Junction, received a stop signal and came to a stop. The locomotive engineer then saw a single freight car approaching on the main line. This freight car then struck our locomotive before our engineer was able to reverse direction to further lessen the impact.
To all of our passengers affected by this incident, both those on train 917 as well as others impacted by the service disruption, we wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and cooperation while MBCR staff members worked to assist our injured passengers and crew as well as those simply trying to get home. During this time staff was focused on service recovery and coordinating and dispatching alternate service utilizing all available MBTA busses.
We are able to report that though the train crew suffered injuries, are now home and recuperating. We know that our engineer’s actions to stop the train and alert the crew greatly reduced the impact of this accident.
Every effort was being made to move passenger trains through the accident site. For public safety reasons, operations were severely limited during the evening as the accident was cleared. Though alternate bus service was available, wherever possible, MBCR attempted to allow passengers to stay on trains as their capacity and travel time is far superior to bus service during rush hour.
We will review all of our actions to identify ways we can provide stronger recovery in the future. Again, we thank each of you for your patience during the disruption.
We would invite you to contact us to share your personal experiences and suggestions for areas of improvement at the following temporary MBCR Customer Service email address: Providence/[email protected]
Please reference 3.25.08 in the subject line.
Thank you for riding the commuter rail.
Customer Service
Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail
Operating the Commuter Rail on behalf the of MBTA
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Comments
Fixed that for 'em
Isn't it funny how CSX/MBCR are real quiet about how that lumber car traveled a couple of MILES, completely unnoticed by dispatchers, the lumber yard, or the general public? It tripped signals according to articles (the engineer stopped for one of the signals), and you'd think the dispatchers would be paying enough attention to notice "hmmm, there's no train scheduled, but these signals are tripping, I wonder what's going on"?
Lumber yard noticed it, and called 911
At least one of the many news articles mentioned this.
It does not take very long for a rail car to travel three miles downhill at 40 mph. By the time anyone knew what was going on, there was nothing that could be done except to stop the commuter train.
I'm thinking you didn't read the story
The lumber yard called the Stoughton police as soon as the car started rolling, and it took less than five minutes to travel those three miles.
Which should give the mathematical prodigies among us a pretty good idea of how fast it was going at the time.
Check out the graphic.
So who sat on their hands?
Five minutes was plenty of time for Stoughton police to call CSX, and for CSX to do something, like radio the train and warn the engineer/give him the OK to back up the train.
Even if nobody had called 911, why didn't CSX notice signals tripping? The car may have even rolled past one of those automated train inspection systems which transmit over the radio the wheel count, speed, and any temperature alarms (they're designed to look for failed bearings on the cars, mostly.)
Time, but not enough...
The transcript of part of the call is as follows:
"Caller: This is Cohenno Incorporated down on Evans Drive. The freight cars out on the commuter rail here -- uh, the freight cars went out on the commuter rail. We’ve got to stop the commuter train. The freight cars from our siding is sitting out the commuter rail."
So this means the car was already on the commuter rail tracks before the call was made. The caller doesn't specify where the car was between the lumberyard and where the accident either. It could have been a mile down the tracks... we don't know. I'm sure some one can figure out how long it would take for it to travel. I remember doing those types of problems in physics class. Reports in the papers today say that it was going more than 40 miles per hour.
I fail to see why it's a conspiracy in Brett's mind. It took over a minute just for the 911 operator to figure out what's going on....