[Portugal] Collision between an Alfa Pendular and an Inspection Vehicle

[Giugiaro]

Just barely got to speed to what just happened this Friday in Portugal.

A Portuguese Alfa Pendular high-speed train collided against a VCC (Overhead Line Inspection Vehicle) at a speed of 118mph just after Soure station.

Unfortunately, the accident already claimed the life of two railwaymen and has the driver of the Alfa in critical condition.

There is no clear understanding of why the collision happened in the first place.

Dois mortos em acidente com alfa pendular na zona de Soure

Comboio colidiu com uma máquina de trabalhos ferroviários da Infraestruturas de Portugal que estava em circulação.

sicnoticias.pt

Descarrilamento na Linha do Norte causa dois mortos

O acidente aconteceu durante a tarde desta sexta-feira, quando um Alfa Pendular colidiu com uma máquina que estava a reparar a linha Norte. Os dois trabalhadores da máquina de reparação morreram e o maquinista do comboio foi transportado para o hospital em estado grave.

sol.sapo.pt

Acidente com Alfa Pendular em Soure. Maquinistas pedem sistema redundante de segurança

O descarrilamento de um comboio Alfa Pendular, no concelho de Soure, distrito de Coimbra, fez esta sexta-feira dois mortos, seis feridos graves e 20 feridos ligeiros.

www.publico.pt

 

[30907]

Bad news, though at least there was a relatively low number of serious injuries.

I can't find a reference in the reports you link to the speed of the train - is 190km/h the linespeed?

 

[Giugiaro]

@30907 the information notice released by the GPIAAF states that the Alfa was running at the expected speed of 190kph through Soure:

O atravessamento da estação de Soure foi feito à velocidade prevista de cerca de 190 km/h, momento em que os maquinistas visualizaram o sinal S3 vermelho e o VCC a convergir para a via em que circulavam.

Source:

 

[Giugiaro]

Does anyone happen to have a spare Pendolino driving car?

Nr. 4005 heading back to Entroncamento. The North driving car has been totalled.

 

[30907]

[QUOTE = "Giugiaro, post: 4698841, member: 12663"]
[USER = 17239] @ 30907 [/ USER] the information notice released by the GPIAAF states that the Alfa was running at the expected speed of 190kph through Soure:



Source:
[/ QUOTE]
Thanks.

 

[JKF]

Does anyone happen to have a spare Pendolino driving car?

Nr. 4005 heading back to Entroncamento. The North driving car has been totalled.

There is another set damaged from a recent level crossing incident, possible to make a good set from the two as it was the other end damaged on that one).

 

[Giugiaro]

@JKF Nr. 4007 is being repaired and will be sent complete back to the mainline.
It suffered similar damage as Nr. 4004 when, back in March 2007, it hit a sand-filled lorry.

Nr. 4005, on the other hand, suffered extensive damage to its structure on car Nr. 6, and will be scrapped for parts.
The remaining train is recoverable, but will still be missing that one driving car...

 

[Giugiaro]

Cars 5 and 6 are unrecoverable and will be scrapped for parts and metal.

There's still no plan as to what to do with the remaining 1 through 4 cars, but they are also structurally compromised, and all of their mechanical fuses broke.

 

[BahrainLad]

So they are down a set. Can they borrow one from Spain at all?

 

[Giugiaro]

Only time will tell @BahrainLad

 

[Ploughman]

Which route through the crossover was the Pendo on?
Looks like a fair amount of track disturbance.

 

[Giugiaro]

Pendular, Lisbon to Braga, Track Nr.1 (Mainline) and maintaining its own trajectory.
VCC, Entroncamento to Pampilhosa, on Track Nr.3 (Bypass) and was waiting to be overtaken to rejoin the mainline.

Both Upward (Nr. 1) and Downward (Nr. 2) tracks have been reopened, with Up limited to 10km/h and Down to 30km/h.
All damaged junctions have been removed.

 

[Giugiaro]

These absolute maniacs:

 

[BahrainLad]

So repairing car 6 of 4005? Presumably that was the only option to retain the set.

 

[158722]

These absolute maniacs:

View attachment 86610

That is 4007, damaged in March at Santarem.

The driving car from 4005 remains as it was, dumped outside the works at Entroncamento, in full view of those passing on the mainline, as I do every week.

 

[185]

Read the initial summary report into this last week that stated the works train set off from the passing loop before the express had passed, thus likely to be a SPAD.