Train Crash near Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

[Seagulls01]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23442018#TWEET833227

 

[Zoidberg]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23442018#TWEET833227

Extract, for our link challenged viewers

A train has derailed in north-western Spain, with at least 10 people reported killed.

Spanish railway company Renfe confirmed the train had come off the tracks near the city of Santiago de Compostela in the Galicia region.

A Renfe spokesman told AFP news agency several people had been killed and several more injured.

Spanish news agency Efe quoted police and hospital sources as saying at least 50 people were injured.

Reports said all 13 carriages had left the tracks, and four carriages had overturned completely.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Sounds like another rather nasty episode on Europe's railways. Thoughts to those injured and those bereaved.

And of course to the emergency services/rail staff/medics/members of the public who will no doubt be doing their best to help those involved.

 

[185]

Pretty horrific. Train from Madrid after leaving Ourense had just crossed the new high-speed viaduct then at 1942 BST passed a short tunnel before encountering the sharp left hand bend, on approach to Santiago de Compostela. Seems some of the front cars came off for reasons unknown, and hit a concrete wall and overbridge at speed. The rear part of the train came off and at least one carriage went flying up a residential street.

Spanish press claim currently 'at least' 35 dead, and 50 hurt. Some may be trapped.

Looks like a 12-car 102 set, built jointly by Talgo and Bombardier.

Only photo I could add is below as others contain images British media cannot show.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just heard about this whilst listening to Radio 4. That report said that one carriage in particular seemed to move a fair distance in a sideways movement at the start of the incident.It is only a short time since another European railway had an incident with one of its services at speed.

Our thoughts to the families of the deceased, as the report stated a death toll of over 30 people.

 

[fsmr]

Live pics on BBC news 24 looks horrific

 

[185]

BBC and Spanish TV making reports of explosions prior to the train leaving the track, however it was mentioned it's likely that was the noise of the impact of the front of the train vs bridge. Some minor possibility of terrorism suggested by interior ministry.

Was on this bend....
https://maps.google.com/?ll=42.8596...oid=AH60d-MiuExF7Aje89TAQg&cbp=12,116.53,,0,0
....from the left hand line, train came off.

Staff from Renfe just tweeted unofficially that this was a 'forked' broken rail.... 'bifuricacion' which I think has a proper translation to splitting.

 

[fsmr]

BBC and Spanish TV making reports of explosions prior to the train leaving the track, however it was mentioned it's likely that was the noise of the impact of the front of the train vs bridge. Some minor possibility of terrorism suggested by interior ministry.

Lots of talk about a major political rally which was due to take place there this weekend and the Spanish equivalent of COBRA is to meet to discuss the crash. It will be fairly quick process to discover if it was a terrorism incident god forbid

 

[starrymarkb]

It looks like a Variable Gauge Talgo set rather then a s102. Looks very bad from the pictures

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Indeed - "God forbid" it was terrorism or similar. Bad do for whatever reason ......thoughts to all involved and working there ...

 

[crispy1978]

Breaking news on BBC News saying surviving passengers heard one or two explosions, and deaths now over 45.

 

[185]

It looks like a Variable Gauge Talgo set rather then a s102. Looks very bad from the pictures

Correct it's a hybrid set. Just noticed the technical end car lying beside the traction unit. Wheels can move from Standard Gauge to Spanish Broad Gauge.

 

[IanXC]

There is now an in pictures on the BBC News site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23442956

In particular, in what is currently the second picture, note the position of the coach reported to be in a residential street.

 

[158722]

There is now an in pictures on the BBC News site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23442956

In particular, in what is currently the second picture, note the position of the coach reported to be in a residential street.

The power car in the second shot you refer to is the rear one, so it appears that the lucky coach has been separated from the main formation and been fired off up the embankment out of harms way as the train came off on the curve before the bridge. The unlucky coaches in front of the power car have suffered a total structural failure when compressed between the rear electric and diesel power cars the bridge embankment. At least one coach is quoted as having been totally destroyed and note what looks like the diesel engine out of the power car in shot 5 in that link.

Quotes in the Spanish press already saying that it was travelling at 180kmh instead of 80kmh and that up to 56 could have died. Thoughts to everyone involved in this disaster for Spain.

 

[Manchester77]

Just tweeted: @BBCBreaking: At least 45 people killed in #Galicia train derailment - Spain's PM due to visit site http://t.co/siQK1VCKeF http://t.co/SVZPodnZFe

A train has derailed in north-western Spain, killing at least 45 people and injuring many more, officials in the Galicia region have said.

All 13 carriages of the train, which was travelling from Madrid to Ferrol, came off the tracks near the city of Santiago de Compostela.

Images from the scene showed bodies strewn near ruined carriages, and emergency crews searching the wreckage.

Analysts say it is the worst rail accident in Spain in four decades.

Looks a bit like Eschede the way the coaches have stacked in the residential area.

 

[YorkshireRider]

The Guardian are now saying at least 56 dead and 20 seriously injured, awful, thoughts with all the crew and passengers,also suggesting the train was doing 180km per hour on a bend where the recommended speed is 80 but this must be nonsense surely.

 

[185]

It is not improbable, I thought. It's a long straight stretch of track over the bridge and this is the first curve in a while. That said, I am sure there must be some sort of TPWS overspeed system fitted to the train and track.

 

[Giugiaro]

The train in question is a RENFE Class 730 which is a dual-gauge, dual-voltage and hybrid powered train. It's a RENFE Class 130 that has the particularity of having two diesel-electric generator sets on the consist.

On one of the images from the accident, besides the passenger car left outside the railway area, there's a blueish engine also outside the railway that must be from one of the generator sets. Which means that particular g.s. has been completely destroyed and may explain the fire.

Also, being outside an High Speed branch, the train must have been monitored by the ASFA system. Unlike the EBICAB 700 used in Portugal (CONVEL), the ASFA is an AWS that doesn't have an ATC and therefore no speed control exists on the train.

The track seems to be in perfect shape. Now take your own conclusions and lets wait for the results.


RIP for those who have died from this disaster and a hope that the injured can be treated well.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The Guardian are now saying at least 56 dead and 20 seriously injured, awful, thoughts with all the crew and passengers,also suggesting the train was doing 180km per hour on a bend where the recommended speed is 80 but this must be nonsense surely.

The seriousness of this rail accident again increases as the death toll is now stated to be 77, with over 100 in various stages of suffering injuries.

 

[Teaboy1]

I agree that the track "looks" to be still all there and nothing I can see in picture shows any track damage however it may be that its jumped the track 1/2 km away.
Still pretty horrific for all involved.
I have been there previously [but only on the meter gauge track to Bilbao] this naturally looks like standard gauge but given the mixture of gauges, one wonders if something like gauge selection transfer has occured on the move!! Virtually impossible I know while in motion but if speed limit exceeded who knows what forces are put into wheelset mecho??
Sympathy to all families and loved-ones involved.

 

[Starfish Prime]

Terrible news, that city is close from I was born and my family lives. Today (July 25th) is local Bank Holiday in Santiago to celebrate the city patron´s day (St James). This is a very popular festival and many people from Santiago living outside returns to the city for the festival.

For the people who understands Spanish, I recommend to follow this thread in the next forum. In that forum many people from Adif (Spanish Network Rail) and Renfe write and are explaining how the signalling works in that area.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=707928

The train was at 190Km/h and the curve maximum speed was 80 Km/h, this is the information released at the moment. I don´t know the source, we´ll know after the investigation.

The zone was managed by the ASFA Digital system in Iberian gauge, not ERMTS. ERMTS will be installed when that HSL will switch to standard gauge. Apparently ASFA controls the signal aspect but not the maximum speed.

The train drivers are alive and not injuried.

This is a video of Ourense-Santiago, the accident place is the curve at 31:30. You can imagine the magnitude of the impact when a coach and an engine generator jumped over the concrete wall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QvvvL3OTtXk

 

[Harpers Tate]

A local journalist was interviewed on the BBC live this morning and he suggested that speed over double the limit may have been the cause.....

 

[ainsworth74]

The latest I heard on BBC Breakfast was the train was doing around 100kph through a limit of 80kph but that's not come from Renfe (or other offical bodies) as far as I know so treat it with salt and so on.

 

[Antman]

News reports this morning that the train was doing around 220kph on an 80kph bend.

My thoughts go out to everybody involved.

 

[YorkshireBear]

That is horrific if true, RIP to those lost and thoughts go out to their friends and family.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

News reports this morning that the train was doing around 220kph on an 80kph bend.

My thoughts go out to everybody involved.

Shades of Morpeth on an unfortunately much larger scale?





Meanwhile, the BBC website "latest" ticker is quoting Mr Hague as talking about the accident "in Southern Spain". Is this a website error or has the Foreign Secretary really got his geography very wrong?

 

[Oliver]

The train in question is a RENFE Class 730 which is a dual-gauge, dual-voltage and hybrid powered train. It's a RENFE Class 130 that has the particularity of having two diesel-electric generator sets on the consist.

Is this a "Talgo" style unit? i.e. short articulated carriages with a single axle per coach?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It certainly looks like a Talgo in the pictures.



As, indeed, this suggests:

It looks like a Variable Gauge Talgo set rather then a s102. Looks very bad from the pictures

Correct it's a hybrid set. Just noticed the technical end car lying beside the traction unit. Wheels can move from Standard Gauge to Spanish Broad Gauge.

 

[jopsuk]

Is this a "Talgo" style unit? i.e. short articulated carriages with a single axle per coach?

Not even an axle- independent wheels. It's one of the Class 730 sets- these are Class 130 sets with an additional genertor car to make them bi-mode.

 

[CC 72100]

If anyone does understand Spanish, there is a lot (and I mean a lot) about it on El País. Link here to all articles related to it: http://elpais.com/tag/accidente_ferrocarril_santiago_de_compostela_2013/a/

There's also a live camera feed at the site on the same website.

Very sad.