Train hits and kills 5 rail workers in Italy

[rf_ioliver]

This just popped up on The Guardian. Very tragic.

Train hits and kills five track maintenance workers in northern Italy

Mayor of northern town of Brandizzo speaks of ‘chilling scene’ after accident near Turin

www.theguardian.com

Five railway workers in northern Italy were killed when they were hit by a train while carrying out overnight maintenance work.

Paolo Bodoni, the mayor of Brandizzo, told the AGI news agency that an emergency worker had described to him a “chilling scene, with human remains across 300 metres”.

He said it was “a huge tragedy” and an investigation was under way.

Police said the train, which was transporting wagons on the Milan-Turin line and was not in commercial service, was travelling at 160km/h (99mph) when, shortly before midnight, it hit the team replacing parts of the track near Brandizzo, on the outskirts of Turin, the AGI and Ansa news agencies reported.

 

[D6130]

Very sad news indeed. If it is true that the train concerned was travelling at 160 km/h, I suspect that it would have been empty coaching stock rather than wagons. Unfortunately, the Italian media - like their UK counterparts - often have difficulty in distinguishing between the two.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Very sad news indeed. If it is true that the train concerned was travelling at 160 km/h, I suspect that it would have been empty coaching stock rather than wagons. Unfortunately, the Italian media - like their UK counterparts - often have difficulty in distinguishing between the two.

BBC confirm it was an empty coaching stock working: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-66666981

At least five people have died after a train hit railway workers at high speed close to a station in Italy.
The workers, aged between 22 and 52, were replacing part of a track outside the northern city of Turin when they were killed.
They had been working on the line between Turin and Milan when the empty passenger train went through Brandizzo station at a reported 160km/h (100mph).
Mayor Paolo Bodoni told Italian media an investigation was under way.
Two workers survived unscathed but were taken to hospital for observation. The train driver was treated at the scene for shock but later sent home. He is expected to be questioned later about the accident.
In a statement, Italian railway network (RFI) expressed its "deep sorrow" for the incident. It also sent its "deep condolences" to the families of those who died.
Mr Bodoni described the incident as "chilling" and a "huge tragedy".
Italian reports said the workers had been replacing about 10m of track when the empty train transporting a dozen wagons went through Brandizzo station at high speed.
Some of the victims were dragged hundreds of metres along the track.
The mayor of Brandizzo, a small town to the north-east of Turin, said he would wait until the outcome of the inquiry but a communication error could not be ruled out.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Very sad news indeed. If it is true that the train concerned was travelling at 160 km/h, I suspect that it would have been empty coaching stock rather than wagons. Unfortunately, the Italian media - like their UK counterparts - often have difficulty in distinguishing between the two.

Not sure about Italian, but in French a railway carriage is a "wagon" - as in "Wagon-Lits" - carriage (with) beds

 

[D6130]

Not sure about Italian, but in French a railway carriage is a "wagon" - as in "Wagon-Lits" - carriage (with) beds

I would only partially agree with you. Generally speaking - especially in terms of reservations - a passenger coach in French is 'une voiture' (or, in Italian, 'una vettura' or 'una carozza'). However, as you correctly state, restaurant or sleeping cars are usually decribed - in French - as 'wagon restaurant' or 'wagon lits'....or in Italian, as 'vagone ristorante' or 'vagone letti'. Very confusing!

 

[Helenamuti]

From the photos it is clear it was a passenger coach.
Italian papers also say the line was cleared for 160km/hr but the convoy was travelling at 100km/hr at the time of the accident.