Passenger/Freight Rail Collision in Greece, 2/28

[Chris I]

In the pictures you posted you can see the steel plates that was cargo. Trains vs steel plates here in the USA, the steel plates seem to cause extra damage.

Aside from tankers full of flammables or chemicals, I can't think of a more dangerous thing to have a passenger car crash into. A dense thin mass will just shear straight through the body shell. Absolute nightmare scenario here.

 

[BlackDiamond]

From what I have read on other forums, it appears that the line had signaling but has not been fully operative for some time and much dispatching has to be done by train orders transmitted by radio. Although the line is double track, one track was out of service so single track operation was in effect for this area north of Larissa. Supposedly they are working on installing ETCS signaling but it is not yet operational.

The station master arrested and charged with manslaughter seems like a scapegoating to me given the state of the system they had to work with.

 

[MARC Rider]

Sounds like New York City and LA!!!

Don't forget San Antonio, Texas. Back in 2006, we were doing some testing of tractor-trailers, our contractor leased a couple and parked them in in their lot. By the time I got down to visit, the trailers were already tagged. I think the contractor had to repaint them before they were turned back in. And I had to digitally retouch all of my photos of the testing so that the trailers would look presentable on my Power Point slides.

 

[west point]

trying to figure the non signal system. Evidently some kind of manual block sys not covered by any dispatch. Not even interlocked. Is this he way US RRs worked just after civil war?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Don't forget San Antonio, Texas. Back in 2006, we were doing some testing of tractor-trailers, our contractor leased a couple and parked them in in their lot. By the time I got down to visit, the trailers were already tagged. I think the contractor had to repaint them before they were turned back in. And I had to digitally retouch all of my photos of the testing so that the trailers would look presentable on my Power Point slides.

Yep, Sadly EVERY US City ( including Austin) seems to be a Victim of "Tagging", but NYC and LA have the Reputation of having the Most and Best " Street Artists"!

 

[Winecliff Station]

Occurred north of the city. Double tracks showing on Google maps. Trains were on the same track, passenger locomotive crew did see the problem. Unfortunately all 4 engineers on both trains are reported dead. 2 passenger railcars are reported crushed/disintegrated.

Job well done to the fire service. Just after midnight the call came in. They managed to get 500 people on scene.
Well organized system.

Firefighting in Greece is a constant need as it is a very dry climate for over half the year and fires spread very easily. As a result, Greece puts a lot of resources into fighting fires. Even on the islands you’ll see planes picking up and dumping water on fires that are inaccessible by truck because of their location. Given this is winter and not the dry season, I’m not surprised they were able to respond quickly. It’s something that they’re good at as a country.

This might not the be right time or place for levity, but in Chicago we have a term for an affliction that only affects Greek restaurants, it's called Greek Lighting...

A shame - really horrible crash that seems as if it was completely preventable.

Not just a Chicago thing…all Greek Americans talk about Greek Lightning when a diner burns down

Everything in Greece is coverered in graffiti. Even new rail cars are tagged within days. They even tagged the Orthodox Church next to my hotel this year. On my last trip churches were still sacrosanct. No graffiti on any of them then.

It’s a shame, with Athens being the worst but some of the less touristy islands like Syros are getting hit as well. Most graffiti in Greece has historically been political, unlike our American content consisting of who regularly performs what type of sexual act on what body part.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/02/europe/greece-train-crash-larissa-protests-intl/index.html
Well this just gets worse. Audio recording of the train crew been told to pass the red signal, at speed.

 

[joelkfla]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/02/europe/greece-train-crash-larissa-protests-intl/index.html
Well this just gets worse. Audio recording of the train crew been told to pass the red signal, at speed.

Something I noticed earlier: it sounds like the trains there don't have "Emergency Exit" removable windows. Are they a uniquely American thing?

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Something I noticed earlier: it sounds like the trains there don't have "Emergency Exit" removable windows. Are they a uniquely American thing?

The style we have is a unique “to American thing” as we have FRA glaze windows. Which are close to bullet proof glass. In Europe you will have window punch/hammers to break the windows. The red handle thing you see in most YouTube video. Easy to see in a video of a sleeping compartment.

Here in the US a emergency window is a pull out the windows seal, then lift out the glass panel. In Europe you swing the hammer or press the punch to the window into it breaks.

Different way of doing things, base on the strength of the windows.

 

[west point]

. In Europe you will have window punch/hammers to break the windows.
Different way of doing things, base on the strength of the windows.

Is the European glass safety glass? Regular glass ; Watch out for the glass shards.

 

[TaseMeBro]

Is the European glass safety glass? Regular glass ; Watch out for the glass shards.

It would be tempered glass - which breaks into crumbles, as compared to laminated/safety glass, which also breaks into crumbles, but generally stays in place due to a sandwiched plastic sheet bonded to the glass.

A window punch (or the breaker devices @Just-Thinking-51 mentioned) will work fine on tempered glass- the whole sheet will turn to crumbles and pretty much fall away.

Window punches on laminated/safety glass may or may not work - usually, the just "peck" or crack a small area around the point of impact, though sometimes the entire sheet will crumble, while still staying attached to the plastic laminate, and have to be pulled away with some force, still in flexible sheet.

Your car, for instance, has a safety/laminated glass windshield. The side windows are likely tempered glass (though more and more cars now have laminated glass in the side windows for safety and noise insulation).

I don't think you'd find plate glass (breaks into shards) in a transportation application pretty much anywhere.

 

[Willbridge]

It would be tempered glass - which breaks into crumbles, as compared to laminated/safety glass, which also breaks into crumbles, but generally stays in place due to a sandwiched plastic sheet bonded to the glass.

A window punch (or the breaker devices @Just-Thinking-51 mentioned) will work fine on tempered glass- the whole sheet will turn to crumbles and pretty much fall away.

Window punches on laminated/safety glass may or may not work - usually, the just "peck" or crack a small area around the point of impact, though sometimes the entire sheet will crumble, while still staying attached to the plastic laminate, and have to be pulled away with some force, still in flexible sheet.

Your car, for instance, has a safety/laminated glass windshield. The side windows are likely tempered glass (though more and more cars now have laminated glass in the side windows for safety and noise insulation).

I don't think you'd find plate glass (breaks into shards) in a transportation application pretty much anywhere.

Those were old cars, too. In the videos on the newer emu's used on the one-stop expresses on that line it looked like there was signage over some windows. They may identify emergency exits.

There's something for future video reviewers to easily check.

 

[Rover]

https://apnews.com/article/crash-de...ogy-railways-13c29e105bdfcd09e605e53d2251c9c2