Brandon Bostian acquitted on all counts the in Regional 188 derailment case

[jis]

What's an Approach 60? Cause it doesn't exist.

There is no Approach 60 signal aspect (if there were it would probably be Approach Medium, but there is not). There is "cab speed 60" track circuit code (100Hz/270 pulse) . It is a legacy LIRR Code that has been adopted system-wide on the NEC ACSES system

It is not a signal aspect, but it can be sent via track circuit.

But anyway that would not have worked on that curve since it was a 40mph curve. It would have to be an Approach (30) or Approach Medium (45)

 

[Acela150]

There is no Approach 60 signal aspect (if there were it would probably be Approach Medium, but there is not). There is "cab speed 60" track circuit code (100Hz/270 pulse) . It is a legacy LIRR Code that has been adopted system-wide on the NEC ACSES system

It is not a signal aspect, but it can be sent via track circuit.

But anyway that would not have worked on that curve since it was a 40mph curve. It would have to be an Approach (30) or Approach Medium (45)

I know. Forgot to put an emoji.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Under our law, a person is presumed innocent until found guilty by a jury of one’s peers and has the right to remain silent and not be forced to testify against oneself. The burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is on the prosecution. These rights of the people are very important and we’re established long ago. Star Courts and other show trials which represent the power of governments over the people do not establish a system of Justice but allow governments to impose their will on the people. While you may not agree with the outcome in this case, you were not on the jury nor were present at the trial to hear the evidence presented. I do not think you would want to live in a country which did not recognize such rights.

Expressing disappointment in a decision is not the same as saying the option to decide should not be protected. In the span of a few months we’ve seen an engineer cleared of all guilt while a truck driver who caused fewer deaths and injuries was handed a sentence of 110 years. That is not to say all causes and culpability are the same, or that either judgement was more correct than the other, but I find the disparity difficult to square in a supposedly rational justice system.

 

[BlackDiamond]

But anyway that would not have worked on that curve since it was a 40mph curve. It would have to be an Approach (30) or Approach Medium (45)

Approach Medium requires you are down to Medium speed (30 mph) by the time you reach the next signal. You would want an aspect that gets the train to 40 mph or less at the signal itself, perhaps a Limited Approach (rule 286A) although that is 45 not 40 and I don't know if it would be applicable here.

 

[jis]

Fortunately with ACSES in place we don’t have to depend on signal aspects for civil speed enforcement.

Signal speed based civil speed enforcement has always been inefficient in terms of requiring a much slower average speed than allowable for safe operation over a segment. But ACSES actually happened because there was literally no way to enforce speed limits above 60mph after the LIRR extension was broadly adopted, and above 45mph before that.

 

[JRR]

Expressing disappointment in a decision is not the same as saying the option to decide should not be protected. In the span of a few months we’ve seen an engineer cleared of all guilt while a truck driver who caused fewer deaths and injuries was handed a sentence of 110 years. That is not to say all causes and culpability are the same, or that either judgement was more correct than the other, but I find the disparity difficult to square in a supposedly rational justice system.

As long as people are involved in the administration of any justice system, there will never be perfect results. I didn’t understand the sentence in the truck driver case either. A sentence of 110 years is on its face, ridiculous.

Further, guilt in fact persons who are acquitted or otherwise not held to account is under our system, less egregious than innocent people being found guilty, although both happen to everyone’s detriment.

If you know of a better system, advocate for it.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

https://news.yahoo.com/black-woman-sentenced-6-years-231000713.html
Or 6 years in jail for registering to vote after a parole officer approved it and said it was ok? Justice is not equal and we shouldn’t pretend it is.
Can we honestly expect anything else in such a polarized society?

As someone else brought up earlier these prosecutions in transportation ACCIDENTS will end up hindering safety. We need to learn from and prevent accidents from happening again not grandstand by prosecuting honest hard working people. As an airline pilot I’ve read about this stuff for years. Brakes fail and plane goes off end of runway in Brazil, pilots arrested and years of their lives destroyed. Similar to Bostian case. Banana republic type stuff.

 

[JC_620]

Expressing disappointment in a decision is not the same as saying the option to decide should not be protected. In the span of a few months we’ve seen an engineer cleared of all guilt while a truck driver who caused fewer deaths and injuries was handed a sentence of 110 years. That is not to say all causes and culpability are the same, or that either judgement was more correct than the other, but I find the disparity difficult to square in a supposedly rational justice system.

Welcome to the United States justice system. Where, most of the time, money talks and...well, you know the rest. I suppose that they should have dropped the charges on the bus driver who fell asleep at the wheel from gambling all night at Foxwoods who flipped the bus early in the morning doing 80mph on 95 in the Bronx which killed 15 people? He got off as well.
Who is held responsible for the deaths? Amtrak? Sorry. No justice once again.
I do feel bad for Bostian though. He will have to live with it for the rest of his life as well.

 

[Jovet]

Remember that U.S. train signals indications implement transient speed limits. Train signal-imposed speed limits come and go based on the conditions of the route and track. A permanent speed reduction for a feature such as a curve would not be indicated by a signal, but instead by a permanent speed reduction. A train usually has multiple speed limits imposed on it at any given moment. These can include signal speed limits, track speed limit, subdivision speed limit, lading/cargo speed limits, weather-related speed limits, etc. Every train is required to be operated at or below the lowest speed limit that applies to the entire train at any given moment.

I'm glad to see Mr. Bostian can maybe—finally—get some peace from this whole ordeal and everyone can heal. As sad and unfortunate as what happened is to the persons who were injured or died (and their families), what happened to Mr. Bostian could happen to any of us. Sometimes terrible things just happen.