TGV Derailment (5th March)

[Esker-pades]

It's being reported that a TGV has derailed while travelling from Strasbourg to Paris, near Ingenheim. 21 people are hurt, currently none have died. 1 person (I think the driver) is very seriously injured.

Early news reports are blaming the collapse of an embankment.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Picture of the landslip in Le Figaro: https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/...-paris-deraille-le-conducteur-blesse-20200305
You wouldn't want to be hitting that at 270km/h, which was apparently the TGV speed at the time.

 

[SHD]

Thankfully there was no train coming from the other direction at that very moment. The line speed at this point is 320 km/h but the train that derailed was probably in full acceleration.

 

[hexagon789]

Considering the speed of the train, it seems quite lucky indeed that it hasn't caused many injuries as such.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The site is only about 20km from the eastern end of the LGV where the on-test TGV derailment happened in 2015 (Eckwersheim).
At least this looks not to be an operational error.
The railway cutting sides look quite shallow, although you can never tell with a distant camera.
HS2 designers will no doubt be taking note.

 

[gysev]

According to this newspaper, SNCF doesn't call it a derailment but they said that a train had left the track. One wonders what those pressboys and -girls at SNCF had for breakfast.

 

[gysev]

other pictures: https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/fai...urg-paris-deraille-pres-de-saverne-1583391871

 

[PartyOperator]

More info from SNCF here:

https://twitter.com/GroupeSNCF/status/1235489459342389250

GCSE French translation attempt:
"Following a very significant landslip, a TGV on the Colmar - Sélestat - Strasbourg - Paris-Est route has left the track [i.e. derailed]. Despite this departure from the track, the TGV remained standing. Initial findings indicate that three people were injured. The seriously injured TGV driver was evacuated by helicopter. The train manager, with back trauma, was taken care of immediately and a traveler suffered a slight face injury. The safety measures required to ensure the safety of the 300 passengers on board worked perfectly. SNCF salutes the professionalism of its personnel on board. SNCF is prioritising the support of travelers on this TGV so that they can reach their destination as soon as possible and under the best possible conditions. An internal investigation was immediately launched by the public railway safety authority [EPSF]. Rail traffic between Paris and Strasbourg is not interrupted and all TGVs are diverted by the classic lines between Vendenheim and Baudrecourt."

 

[Beebman]

Gallery of 26 photos:
https://www.lalsace.fr/fil-info/2020/03/05/un-tgv-deraille-entre-strasbourg-et-saverne

This report from news broadcaster BFM TV includes a video taken by a passenger inside the train as it comes to a halt immediately after the derailment (starts at 0:33):

 

[43096]

Euro Duplex set 4707 involved by the look of it.

 

[jopsuk]

According to this newspaper, SNCF doesn't call it a derailment but they said that a train had left the track. One wonders what those pressboys and -girls at SNCF had for breakfast.

is this a lost-in-translation issue? Left the track but didn't leave the railway?

 

[TRAX]

The train derailed at 292 kph (181 mph).

 

[175mph]

I wonder if the power car unit will be a write off?

 

[daikilo]

Looks like a nasty track buckle in the opposite direction also!

 

[edwin_m]

Looks like a nasty track buckle in the opposite direction also!

If you're referring to the picture in #2, I think the train would have been going away from camera on the left hand track and the buckles in both tracks were created when the landslip diverted the power car to the right. This is consistent with other pictures showing it with the front bogie of the power car on the opposite track.

 

[TRAX]

Yes, the buckle is where the train landed after being thrown up by the landslide. It nearly landed perfectly on the right-hand-side track, in fact.

 

[37201xoIM]

Considering the speed of the train, it seems quite lucky indeed that it hasn't caused many injuries as such.

Agreed, though I suspect not purely luck: the TGV design of power cars plus articulated trailers does appear to perform very well in derailments, even at such high speeds. I believe that some years ago there was one at a not dissimilar speed on LGV Nord, and again (thankfully) with precious few casualties.

I hate to say it but I did find myself wondering whether the result would have been the same had this been a DB ICE.

 

[TRAX]

Agreed, though I suspect not purely luck: the TGV design of power cars plus articulated trailers does appear to perform very well in derailments, even at such high speeds. I believe that some years ago there was one at a not dissimilar speed on LGV Nord, and again (thankfully) with precious few casualties.

I hate to say it but I did find myself wondering whether the result would have been the same had this been a DB ICE.

The LGV Nord derailment you are mentioning is the Eurostar one in 2000.
And yes indeed, if those had been Velaros or any other non-articulated designs, they would’ve been a straight mess (see the Eschede derailment).

 

[hexagon789]

Agreed, though I suspect not purely luck: the TGV design of power cars plus articulated trailers does appear to perform very well in derailments, even at such high speeds. I believe that some years ago there was one at a not dissimilar speed on LGV Nord, and again (thankfully) with precious few casualties.

I hate to say it but I did find myself wondering whether the result would have been the same had this been a DB ICE.

Difficult to say exactly, but certainly the articulated design does seem far less prone to jacknifing than conventional carriage connections, whether that's because of the way the carriages are joined or how the bogies sit in relation to the carriages though...

I believe there have been a couple of similarly high-speed derailments of TGVs with no casualties yes

 

[30907]

The LGV Nord derailment you are mentioning is the Eurostar one in 2000.
And yes indeed, if those had been Velaros or any other non-articulated designs, they would’ve been a straight mess (see the Eschede derailment).

Possibly, but as the Eschede accident involved a wheel failure, pointwork and ultimately a bridge I don't think we can safely make comparisons.

 

[daikilo]

Yes, the buckle is where the train landed after being thrown up by the landslide. It nearly landed perfectly on the right-hand-side track, in fact.

I'm having difficulty envisaging the dynamics of that at 270km/h on the outer curve unless the landslide was moving, fast. Lateral forces must have been "significant", which I guess explains at least some of the injuries to the driver.

 

[TRAX]

I'm having difficulty envisaging the dynamics of that at 270km/h on the outer curve unless the landslide was moving, fast. Lateral forces must have been "significant", which I guess explains at least some of the injuries to the driver.

A slight correction, that was at 292 kph. Also, the picture is heavily zoomed in so the distances are reduced.
Basically there was a heap of land on the left track, the driver saw it and hit the emergency brake, the train then jumped on said heap and was launched in the air towards the right hand side track - the leading bogie of 4707 almost fell perfectly on this track (a cheap alternative to using points ? ). Pulling a bunch of derailed coaches, the train then plowed through the trackbed for 1.3 km before coming to a stop.

 

[Bald Rick]

Only just seen this.

Very unusual to get a landslide on an earthwork of that slope (it will be 30 degrees).

 

[37201xoIM]

Thanks for the comments above - yes, I'd be inclined to agree about this apparent advantage of articulation, or at least this design of articulation.