Train Crash near Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

[Snapper]

It's a tragic accident. I just hope the death toll doesn't rise & the cause is established soon.

What's utterly repugnant is the anti Hs2 mob playing politics on Twitter, using the accident to scaremonger on rail safety and bash Hs2. Those of you on Twitter can see their actions at the #hs2 hashtag.

 

[Manchester77]

@ly_qi: Just heard on Sky News theres been a High Speed Train derailment in Spain #HS2 what if one derails over Camden Market? #Camden #death - why would someone tweet that really?!

Thoughts go out to the families of the victims

 

[AlexS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o32nxuHshv4&feature=youtu.be

Just to give a warning, this is direct footage of the accident occurring that has appeared on Youtube.

 

[neonison]

Was on this bend....
https://maps.google.com/?ll=42.8596...oid=AH60d-MiuExF7Aje89TAQg&cbp=12,116.53,,0,0
....from the left hand line, train came off.

Staff from Renfe just tweeted unofficially that this was a 'forked' broken rail.... 'bifuricacion' which I think has a proper translation to splitting.

Thanks this certainly looks like the same place in press photographs (e.g.BBC)

Bifurcacion does indeed mean fork but it also means "points" in railway context.

 

[Unixman]

There is some extraordinary raw footage of the crash here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o32nxuHshv4


Edited .... See it has been already posted...

 

[matchmaker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o32nxuHshv4&feature=youtu.be

Just to give a warning, this is direct footage of the accident occurring that has appeared on Youtube.

Jeez! :cry::cry:

 

[Bungle73]

I'm no expert, but to me that looks like a simple case of going to fast for the curve.

 

[chris89]

Just to give a warning, this is direct footage of the accident occurring that has appeared on Youtube.

Firstly thank you for posting that.

It is on over Sky News and BBC as well now.

Such a shocking accident, Also for those who are using this as an excuse for Anti HS2 is sickening as well.

 

[starrymarkb]

Looks like it was the Leading Gen car (this has an MTU 4000 HST engine for powering the train off the wires) that started to roll first, then everything just hits the wall.

 

[dysonsphere]

Intresting to notice there craneing wrecks out already would take days of study here before they moved anything, either there very sure of cause of work to a differant system.

 

[starrymarkb]

Intresting to notice there craneing wrecks out already would take days of study here before they moved anything, either there very sure of cause of work to a differant system.

I think they are also checking underneath for survivors/bodies...

 

[neonison]

The train is in shot for 6 seconds during which time it covers about 250-300m extrapolating from the Google Map data.
That's about 150 - 180 kph.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o32nxuHshv4&feature=youtu.be

Just to give a warning, this is direct footage of the accident occurring that has appeared on Youtube.

Looking at that clip, it seemed to derail just before entering the curve?

 

[warriorofrovac]

News sites also indicate that "one of the drivers." Is multiple drivers common in Spain High Speed trains?

Looking at that clip, it seemed to derail just before entering the curve?

I agree. The first carriage seems messed almost as soon as the train enters shot.

 

[neonison]

The high speed line is pretty straight for some distance before the Angrois Viaduct but it is in tunnel for ~700m immediately before the curve.

Coming out of the tunnel (of which there are many on this high speed route) would leave no warning of the curve.

 

[68000]

This is a shocking accident and the driver is in serious trouble. Questions also have to be asked of the Spainish railway authorities about why no control systems where in place to mitigate this kind of speeding

 

[Manchester77]

Just shown one of the carriages lifted up on the news, it's gutted with a huge tear down the side just shocking

 

[neonison]

The high speed line is pretty straight for some distance before the Angrois Viaduct but it is in tunnel for ~700m immediately before the curve.

Coming out of the tunnel (of which there are many on this high speed route) would leave no warning of the curve.

The tunnel mouth is just 100m beyond the large road bridge (Autostrada del Atlantico - Angrois Viaduct) at the back of the shot.

This is a tight and sudden curve following a long straight through multiple tunnels.

 

[Antman]

This is a shocking accident and the driver is in serious trouble. Questions also have to be asked of the Spainish railway authorities about why no control systems where in place to mitigate this kind of speeding

My thoughts exactly, I think a few people have some explaining to do.

That shocking video footage is widely available online now

 

[Mintona]

This is a shocking accident and the driver is in serious trouble. Questions also have to be asked of the Spainish railway authorities about why no control systems where in place to mitigate this kind of speeding

There was me waiting for the official investigation, so thanks for providing us with the valuable insight into the driver's actions.

 

[Crundles]

Can the Spanish ASFA system warn of an approaching speed reduction, i.e., something like a permanent AWS magnet in the UK?

 

[rebmcr]

On the BBC site, there's a picture of one of the carriages that made it all the way up the embankment onto the road.

 

[YorkshireBear]

It's a tragic accident. I just hope the death toll doesn't rise & the cause is established soon.

What's utterly repugnant is the anti Hs2 mob playing politics on Twitter, using the accident to scaremonger on rail safety and bash Hs2. Those of you on Twitter can see their actions at the #hs2 hashtag.

One of them just got an absolute earful from me.

 

[Antman]

It's a tragic accident. I just hope the death toll doesn't rise & the cause is established soon.

What's utterly repugnant is the anti Hs2 mob playing politics on Twitter, using the accident to scaremonger on rail safety and bash Hs2. Those of you on Twitter can see their actions at the #hs2 hashtag.

Indeed, totally ridiculous to use this tragedy as an argument against HS2

 

[Oswyntail]

This is a shocking accident and the driver is in serious trouble. Questions also have to be asked of the Spanish railway authorities about why no control systems where in place to mitigate this kind of speeding

So far, I have heard no official statements, as one might expect. Unverified rumours include mention of speed limits, train speed, bombs and items on the line. Speculation includes the lack of control systems.
I am more than happy to hear peoples hypotheses about what might have caused this or any incident; by discussing hypotheses one can learn a lot about real and fanciful possibilities, and how likely they are. But please, please, if you do put out a hypothesis or theory use a phrase like "I think" somewhere in it.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Thoughts to the wounded and bereaved, as well as those assisting with the incident. It's a horrible incident all round. Hopefully something can be done to stop an incident of this magnitude happening again.

It's a tragic accident. I just hope the death toll doesn't rise & the cause is established soon.

What's utterly repugnant is the anti Hs2 mob playing politics on Twitter, using the accident to scaremonger on rail safety and bash Hs2. Those of you on Twitter can see their actions at the #hs2 hashtag.

People who use tragedy to further their own agendas are just sickening.

 

[102 fan]

I'm curious as to why there is a camera there, and how it got online?

 

[YorkshireBear]

I'm curious as to why there is a camera there, and how it got online?

Webcam like we have in this country for enthusiasts i believe.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So far, I have heard no official statements, as one might expect. Unverified rumours include mention of speed limits, train speed, bombs and items on the line. Speculation includes the lack of control systems.
I am more than happy to hear peoples hypotheses about what might have caused this or any incident; by discussing hypotheses one can learn a lot about real and fanciful possibilities, and how likely they are. But please, please, if you do put out a hypothesis or theory use a phrase like "I think" somewhere in it.

One driver is under investigation. BBC got quite a lot saying when he was rescued saying i hope no one died or it is all on me. So it is still hypothesis but..... also looking at the video the speed it came round that corner...

 

[68000]

There was me waiting for the official investigation, so thanks for providing us with the valuable insight into the driver's actions.

I was going on the report that the driver admitted to speeding, of course it could be brake failure

 

[GodAtum]

thats 2 serious transport related accidents in Europe recently, the last one being the Costa Concordia.