Major grade-crossing accident in Valhalla 2/3/15

What about using cables that could bend or break in a crash? Maybe some kind of breakaway connector?

How would having breakaway rails prevent twelve 39 ft segments from entering the rail cars? If anything, the rails need to be more securely fastened. Or designed in a way where a striking object is forced OVER the rails and not through them.

ok how many accidents resulting in this , have happened ??? chill take breather, you can't stop the inevitable, stop trying to reinvent the wheel , just sayinn.

Lurker, I'm not talking about the method of fastening the rails to the ground - just the method of fastening the rails end-to-end. A plastic joint that keeps alignment and contact between the butts of each rail but one that is flimsy enough to snap given violent upheaval may have prevented the third rail from 480' of displacement.

That said, Dutch has a good point - how often do you hear about this type of accident?

I think the larger issue is the risk to crews and riders in MU trains or diesel trains operating cab car first. That in a grade crossing collision people in the head car have little protection. What if next time it's a dump truck? If the money can be obtained I think they should eliminate the crossings. The area north of White Plains is growing rapidly and accidents are inevitable.

The damage suits from this one incident are already estimated at $300 million. It would've been cheaper to eliminate the crossings in the first place. Five riders died and there has been a lot of publicity. Now is the time to act.

30 years of at least 40 trains a day and 356 days a year and we worry about statistics ?? of next perfect storm ???

Yes, we do. Because we are human and humans make decisions based on emotions as well as facts. We do not want to be in-humane.

your odds are a lot higher to be hit by a bus or car or even shot compared to being killed by train.

DutchRailnut wrote:your odds are a lot higher to be hit by a bus or car or even shot compared to being killed by train.

"You're more likely to get killed by an asteroid or injured by a toilet than win the lottery." National Geographic
The emotional decision overrides the odds.

Personally, I would not want to be the one to tell the victim's families "we ran the numbers and financially the issues are not worth fixing".
(And if you believe politicians will make the actuarial decision instead of the emotional decision, research PTC.)

well if your waiting for grade crossing elimination you and victims have a real long wait, just sayinn.

How about a leading non-metallic rail that cuts off the power if disturbed? So then the power cuts off a second before impact rather than a second after.

The emphasis on the third rail seems to be based on the assumption the electric power played some part in this incident. Perhaps setting off the explosion/fire in the SUV's gas tank. However so far as I know that has not been proven to be the case. In fact I think the NTSB spokesman stated that the collision between the MU car and the SUV at 50 mph would have easily produced enough metal-on-metal friction to have sparked the fire.

Also I think when the third rail encounters a major ground the power shuts off in less than a second, more like a third of a second. It's almost instantaneous. The problem with trying to design a third rail that shuts off when it encounters some outside force is the third rail shoes on the MUs exert a considerable force when they make contact with the rail. Trying to design a third rail that could recognize the difference between unwanted force and normal force might be pretty difficult.

it was actually disproven , the fire started in rear of head car beyond the bathroom, the third rail had already been tripped for a second or 3 according NTSB.

Data dump by STB: LoHud

NTSB releases details, documents on fatal Valhalla crash

More than 1,100 pages of information on last year's Valhalla train crash were released today by federal investigators, including dramatic witnesses statements, cell phone records, forensic tests and maintenance logs.

The Feb. 3 crash killed six people, including driver Ellen Brody, when a northbound commuter train plowed into her sport utility vehicle at a rail crossing. It was the worst crash in Metro-North Railroad history.

The National Transportation Safety Board released 130 documents containing interview summaries, photographs, maintenance logs and other information, all part of the public docket it has opened on the crash as part of its investigation into the collision.

Among the new findings released: Tests found no alcohol or illicit drugs in Brody’s system.

Records also showed that Brody was not using her cell phone at the time of the 6:26 p.m. crash. She had received a phone call from her husband, Alan, at 6:11 p.m., when they reportedly spoke about directions and bills for just under 9 minutes.

Documents link: http://data.lohud.com/documents/valhalla-train-crash/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

First knowledge that an "Enginegirl" was at the throttle.