I did read earlier on BBC that speeds of in excess of 200mph may have been involved (217mph) - one hell of a speed to come off the track!
I would take any speed being reported by the media at this early stage with a large bucket of salt! Journalists have a terrible habit of translating maximum possible speed and/or maximum theoretical speed into the actual speed of the incident. Sometimes it's a form of Chinese whispers, sometimes it's pure sloppy journalism, sometimes it's a lack of understanding and/or asking imprecise questions when interviewing a witness or expert.
And, sometimes, it's accurate. Let's see what results from the investigation.
That makes me doubt the numbers being reported in the media, and suspect that it may well be a more complex issue, or that it's unrelated to speed and instead something like a track/train defect/failure.
I find it rather hard to believe that the sort of railway professionals that would be involved with a test train would cause such a horrific incident through careless and extreme excess speed alone.
Given the colossal damage caused and the fact that the train managed to jump a canal and continue a few hundred metres up the other side of the water course, it is indisputable that speed is a major factor, even if the numbers doing the rounds at present are just conjecture - a train doing the required speed for such a curve could not have crashed in such fashion were the accident caused by a mechanical fault.
Bear in mind my earlier post that they were supposedly planning to test at up to 352 km/h. This equates to the 217 mph being quoted.
Presumably they have some sort of 'kill switch' that would cut power to the engines?
Yes they do, and it has been secured, mentioned in the press briefing. We also have a large number of witnesses onboard, presumably most with significant railway expertise, and possibly monitoring and recording equipment has survived with data intact. Plenty for investigators to work with.Do all TGVs carry any sort of data logger/black box?
Well, look at the Greyrigg derailment at 95mph. You don't need 200mph to scatter a high speed train across the scenery. Also, look at the photograph of the power car in the canal aside from being off the rails and in the canal, it's relatively upright and intact.
Also, look at the photograph of the power car in the canal aside from being off the rails and in the canal, it's relatively upright and intact.
I like to add some tech. ideas here:
a) it's a test train => it records much more and much faster a lot of sensor signal info compared to any Black-box, there or not. If it was the Train the investigators will know within a few days. There is enough recorded data.
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Wiki says that the train travelled eastbound. Entering a curve with 350 kilometers; that must be a hell of a curve. I am no expert, but think that at the most 150 is possible.
An up to date report albeit in French.
This confirms the line speed at the point of derailment as 176kph and says that the driver has survived and that he says he was travelling within the speed limit.
http://www.dna.fr/actualite/2015/11...mes-la-motrice-a-deraille-et-entraine-la-rame
Can somebody kindly provide a detailed track plan of the immediate area of phase 2 of the LGV Est, where the accident happened, including the connections to the Classic Route?
Looking at the photo supplied by 'Groningen' it appears that the train was proceeding eastwards on the right hand track of a single line connection.
(I do realise that right hand running applies in this region but am personally not sure where it starts and finishes.)
It also appears from the photo that the northerly connection line in the photo is in fact double track? Is that so or, is the photo slightly blurred?
An up to date report albeit in French.
This confirms the line speed at the point of derailment as 176kph and says that the driver has survived and that he says he was travelling within the speed limit.
http://www.dna.fr/actualite/2015/11...mes-la-motrice-a-deraille-et-entraine-la-rame
Does the black box back him up though?
Can somebody kindly provide a detailed track plan of the immediate area of phase 2 of the LGV Est, where the accident happened, including the connections to the Classic Route?
Looking at the photo supplied by 'Groningen' it appears that the train was proceeding eastwards on the right hand track of a single line connection.
(I do realise that right hand running applies in this region but am personally not sure where it starts and finishes.)