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Moderator: lensovet

 #1374364  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Associated Press reports the injury count is at nine; down from earlier reports of fourteen:

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/359ae430 ... rnia-creek" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fair Use:
SUNOL, Calif. (AP) — A downed tree on the tracks reportedly caused a commuter train to derail in Northern California, sending its lead car plunging into a swollen creek and leaving nine people injured, authorities said.

Rescuers battled the creek's fast-moving currents Monday night to pull riders to safety from the partially submerged rail car, Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said.

"It was dark, wet, it was raining. It was very chaotic," Kelly said. "This is an absolute miracle that no one was killed, no passengers or first responders."

Four people were seriously hurt, while five others had minor injuries, the Alameda County Fire Department said. The department had been saying in the first hours after the crash that 14 people were injured.
 #1374398  by MACTRAXX
 
GBN and Everyone:

After seeing news reports of this ACE accident it seems to me that there is more then just a tree on the track that
caused this wreck - there was talk of a washout causing the cab car to fall into a paralleling river. I would not be
at all surprised if there was a track washout in a manner of not breaking the rails keeping the signal lines intact.

Thankfully just a few serious injuries were reported. This one could have been much worse with this significant
Pacific storm no doubt the root of the cause. These washouts can happen so quickly there may had been little
if any chance to react to prevent an accident like this one - the tree was an added contributing factor.

MACTRAXX
 #1374432  by ExCon90
 
...and in the case of a washout like that, with the rails remaining intact, PTC wouldn't have made a bit of difference, any more than it would have at Bayou Canot. Anyone want to bet when the first commentator will bring up PTC?
 #1374433  by litz
 
It doesn't have to be a washout ... if there's a mudslide that covers the tracks (including trees, etc), it possibly won't break the rail, possibly won't even short the rails together (which would cause a false "occupied" track signal).

It will, however, derail anything coming down that track, at any decent rate of speed.

Could well be that's what happened here. All those people are very, very, very lucky.
 #1374491  by Backshophoss
 
The track was at 40 mph MAS,Train was reportly running at 35 mph. Track is owned by UP, cab car 3908 will need repairs at a
car shop. Will ACE and UP fund and put in a slide dectector fence in this valley?
 #1375127  by lensovet
 
Backshophoss wrote:The track was at 40 mph MAS,Train was reportly running at 35 mph. Track is owned by UP, cab car 3908 will need repairs at a
car shop. Will ACE and UP fund and put in a slide dectector fence in this valley?
for 6 train/day? i wouldn't hold my breath, sadly.