RearOfSignal wrote:I find it hard to believe that and unusual third rail design is the reason for the accident as is being reported by news outlets. It might be a contributing factor to the number of casualties, but certainly not the cause. I think that cause is the vehicle being on the tracks when the train went through the crossing, but I'm not a NTSB expert. How soon until there are talks of MNR removing all its third rail?
Poor writing skills and news media seem to be a common pairing. Yes, the cause was the car on the tracks ... but the NTSB focuses on contributing factors and a reporter doesn't see the difference between the cause of the incident and the cause of the fatalities. And they are not far off. If someone is killed while not wearing a seatbelt in an accident where it would make a difference it is fair to blame their deaths on the lack of seatbelt use, not the overall cause of the accident.
So yes, the accident was caused by the vehicle on the tracks in front of the train. But the train should have been able to punt such a relatively small vehicle out of the way without killing the passengers. Blaming the deaths on the third rail design is fair.
As far as removal ... probably not feasible. But burying the ends of third rails near crossings should be done. (Or other changes to prevent what occurred with the rail in Valhalla.)