Croydon Tram Derailment

[lisa110rry]

I've just seen the news about this, it seems absolutely devastating and so unusual for a tram to derail. It appears there has been "some loss of life" and quite a few serious injuries. The driver apparently has been arrested.

 

[Red C220]

5 dead.

 

[ShinyF1]

Looks like he took a sharp corner too fast. Very sad for those involved

 

[grober]

Looks like he took a sharp corner too fast. Very sad for those involved

Which "might" imply the driver was unconscious at the time. 12mph corner and given a 100% safety margin before derailment would indicate a speed of 24mph+ These trams are fitted with black boxes but evidently no deadman's handle. The black box will give a good indication of what happened before the accident whether the throttle was reduced brakes applied or failed etc. With the limited facts at our disposal my guess would be momentary loss of consciousness by the driver for reasons unknown or mechanical failure .

 

[Deleted member 113659]

As is always the way in such a busy day of news it annoys me that people losing their lives comes after the main news 'Trump' story.

Thoughts are with all the friends & family of those involved.

Ant.

 

[markjay]

Police will no doubt also check if the driver was using his phone and/or was over the limit.

 

[markjay]

7 Dead, 51 injured.... very sad day.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Police will no doubt also check if the driver was using his phone and/or was over the limit.

6am crash, my money's on over the limit, Time will tell

 

[gr1nch]

Good grief, that's terrible. I've never heard of a tram derailing, let alone loss of life. Going to read up on the news with a heavy heart. Awful for everyone involved.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[BTB 500]

The tram driver, 42, from Beckenham, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

British Transport Police said they were investigating whether he fell asleep.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said the tram was travelling at a "significantly higher speed than is permitted".

Croydon tram: Seven dead and 50 injured after derailment - BBC News

 

[renault12ts]

ITN barely covered it on the 6:30 news...yet, this is a major home event. It should have been the lead story.

 

[ernie]

The last fatal trap accident in UK was in 1957 when a Glasgow tram and a lorry were in collision when the driver and 2 women passengers lost their lives.

I remember it (I was 13) as we were also involved in one that same year in Glasgow when our tram ran into the back of a lorry in thick fog. In that one, the tram driver was trapped in his very small cab and looked to be in a bad way.

Thoughts with those involved; sad day indeed.


Ernie

 

[markjay]

The last fatal trap accident in UK was in 1957 when a Glasgow tram and a lorry were in collision ....

To be fair, there are very few trams around these days, so the overall the likelihood of an accident involving a tram is much smaller than of a train or bus.

 

[poormansporsche]

Maybe, but Croydon is full of the things (and idiot drivers) not a good mix.


Had to berate my idiot worker for going on and on about how bad the traffic was yesterday morning (he lives in Croydon) !!!!

 

[219]

The last fatal trap accident in UK was in 1957 when a Glasgow tram and a lorry were in collision when the driver and 2 women passengers lost their lives.

I remember it (I was 13) as we were also involved in one that same year in Glasgow when our tram ran into the back of a lorry in thick fog. In that one, the tram driver was trapped in his very small cab and looked to be in a bad way.

Thoughts with those involved; sad day indeed.


Ernie

I don't remember the trams in Glasgow , but I am ( just ) old enough to remember the trolley buses , dubbed the 'silent killers' since they apparently took so many pedestrians by surprise with no engine noise and running on rubber tyres .

 

[renault12ts]

I don't remember the trams in Glasgow , but I am ( just ) old enough to remember the trolley buses , dubbed the 'silent killers' since they apparently took so many pedestrians by surprise with no engine noise and running on rubber tyres .

Just like Belfast. We had trams and trolley buses (which I too just remember)...but they were ripped up and now, of course...they want them back!

 

[lisa110rry]

Oh dear, the news this morning is, if anything, worse. The first person to be named as having died was a 19 year old just on the cusp of adult life.

Tragic.

 

[Mike Walker]

I live a few miles from where the accident occurred and understand that the trams do have a "dead mans handle" arrangement. The driver who was arrested has been interviewed and released on police bail.

The report tonight stated that the vehicle will be lifted this evening and there could be other bodies underneath. One of the injured has sadly had an arm amputated.

A sad day indeed.

 

[grober]

I live a few miles from where the accident occurred and understand that the trams do have a "dead mans handle" arrangement. The driver who was arrested has been interviewed and released on police bail.

The report tonight stated that the vehicle will be lifted this evening and there could be other bodies underneath. One of the injured has sadly had an arm amputated.

A sad day indeed.

If this technical description is anything to go by you are indeed correct on the deadman's handle thing. Perhaps of note that all this type of rolling stock is now 16 years old.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_CR4000

 

[markjay]

Some reports that the tram driver may have 'blacked out". Perhaps similar to the 2014 Glasgow bin lorry crash?

Another question to be asked relates to carriage design. Obviously a crash will have consequences.... but with 7 dead and 20 injures - some reportedly lost limbs - given the extent of the injuries one wonders if the carriage design provided sufficient occupant protection?