# At Least 18 Hurt When Train Hits Barricade



## AAARGH! (Sep 15, 2009)

Story here.



> The Framingham/Worcester Line commuter train No. 512 was entering South Station at a slow speed when it hit the barrier at about 9:08 a.m., MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said. There were about 100 people, including two conductors, on the train at the time of the incident.


Is it me or is MBTA having bad luck lately?


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## DET63 (Sep 15, 2009)

At least it wasn't a _Silver Streak_-type crash.


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## jis (Sep 15, 2009)

Meanwhile on CSX two MBTA trains tried to collide head on too, but fortunately did not succeed afterall.

See http://www.ble.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=27591


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## DET63 (Sep 15, 2009)

> CSX is the same company that was sued along with a lumber company by the MBTA about a year and half ago when a freight train rolled down a section of track, undetected for miles, and slammed into a commuter rail train in Canton.


How could a train go that far (assuming the report, however vague, is accurate) without being "detected"?


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## Green Maned Lion (Sep 16, 2009)

Because CSX was doing crap maintenance and their signaling system failed. Its what happened to an American rail company bought by a British investment company seeking profits without regard to anything, including the lives of children they nominally invest for.


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## PRR 60 (Sep 16, 2009)

DET63 said:


> > CSX is the same company that was sued along with a lumber company by the MBTA about a year and half ago when a freight train rolled down a section of track, undetected for miles, and slammed into a commuter rail train in Canton.
> 
> 
> How could a train go that far (assuming the report, however vague, is accurate) without being "detected"?


As far as I am aware, there was no signal system failure with the Canton Junction accident.

A freight car rolled from a lumber yard siding due to the car's handbrake not being set. The car rolled about 3 miles to Canton Junction (with the NEC) where it collided with an stopped MBTA commuter train. The MBTA train had been stopped by the signal system. The engineer was attempting to reverse direction to lessen the impact speed, but did not have time to do so.


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## AlanB (Sep 16, 2009)

PRR 60 said:


> DET63 said:
> 
> 
> > > CSX is the same company that was sued along with a lumber company by the MBTA about a year and half ago when a freight train rolled down a section of track, undetected for miles, and slammed into a commuter rail train in Canton.
> ...


That is precisely what happened. Once the car left the siding, the signal system worked perfectly. There simply wasn't enough time to avoid the collision. Even if the engineer had been able to reverse, the car still would have hit, the impact would just have been less than it was.


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