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High-speed train crash in Spain kills at least 64, injures 80 (www.euronews.com)
submitted 1 week ago by to c/world@quokk.au
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[–] 14 points 1 week ago (11 children)

I really don't get it. How is it even possible for two trains to collide in 2026, computer error or not? What a tragedy.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 week ago (9 children)

    According to what I have read in Norwegian media: It was human error. The traffic controller said both should proceed at normal speed. The stationary train in the front told the controller that they were unable to start the train. But this message didn't end up relayed to the train gunning towards it. The procedure was also that the trains should run at 40 kmh when there was the signal issue that was there. But they were told to use normal speed which is 320 kmh.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 week ago (7 children)

    Yup, but still, there is one track, two objects moving towards each other. Is there truly no technology that can prevent this situation regardless of human errors?

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  • [–] 4 points 1 week ago (4 children)

    Signalling, especially in another country, is not my specialty... But stateside (where tech can range from 2026 latest to akin to 1926).. there would have been a trackside signal that the moving train would've had to ignore... On top of the dispatch/comms screw up. I, like you, would have assumed there'd be some positive control preventing the trains from being on the same section of track or at least at high speed. Hopefully this will spark safety initiatives to improve signalling and train control.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 days ago (1 child)

    The system in use in this case was quite antiquated (60s-70s) but even in this old system there are no trackside signals. From each train the system receives information including direction, braking characteristics.

    The system then sends the cab the info the driver needs: Current Max speed, Target Speed, and Target Distance (how far until the train must hit Target Speed). So the equivalent of a red signal would be a Target of 0km/h.

    This system had broken down for a couple of days, so trains were being manually dispatched. The controller made a mistake and gave one train clearance to continue at line speed despite there being a stopped train in front of it.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 days ago

    Yeah it and it sounds like the other train was stopped by positive controls? At least from the translated version of the leaked audio.

    If that's the case, it's odd the same didn't apply to the moving train.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 week ago

    They were supposed to move the same way. There was an issue with the signaling somehow so they had red lights, but the traffic controller overrode it by telling them to go. Had both trains started moving instead of just the back one this wouldn't have happened.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 week ago

    I'll make a guess and say AI. Either by sucking up resources that would otherwise have been used to replace aging hardware or slop in the firmware of whichever system failed. Eh, just a guess though.

    Rest In Peace Travellers.

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