Train Crash in Lake District

[Trev]

Originally Posted by swisstrains

He said this after praising the Virgin driver (who was seriously injured, sadly) for staying at the controls and managing to steer the train after it left the tracks !!

Originally Posted by 92212

On Radio 5 this morning someone was praising the driver for trying to steer the train to safety......Sheeeh

Did you hear the bit where Branson described the train as "running along the er.... stones"?

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by Trev

Did you hear the bit where Branson described the train as "running along the er.... stones"?

Yes Trev, I did.
It's only right that Branson should support his driver but some of the things he said were unbelievable. I got the impression that his comments were an attempt to turn the accident into a positive public relations exercise for Virgin Trains.
Last night ITN were so short of material with which to extend the story that they had to resort to an "exclusive" interview with a local farmer. He described the sound of the accident as being so loud that his wife thought a storm was brewing and that there were two flashes like localised lightning. Isn't that what you would expect when a 470 tonne electric train comes off the tracks at 95 mph? This is certainly reporting at it's best

[DSY011]

Thank heavens we have someone like Ringoosmeg on the forum. As he works in the area of accidents etc, he knows how to calm things down and keep people like me from running off at the mouth like the media. They (the media) love to speculate on anything and an accident on the railway is just too ripe for picking. They have proved that they know nothing about the systems or how it works (a reporter asked him what points were for) so they ask stupid questions of anyone they can find and report or print as "An Expert Said".
I will take Ringoosmeg's advice and just wait until I can read the full report and not speculate on what may or may not have happened.

[Ian White]

It's just a case of some one else that should not be there,making remarks about some thing he know's nothing about.
All the best,Ian.

[robbo]

The media can speculate all it wants too !! It wont make a scrap of differance to the outcome of any inquiry that will take place. All it will do is to show the media and its reporting as a load of XXXX. The trouble is - will the media report its bad speculation of the event or try to turn the spotlight onto someone else or another subject. I`ve yet to meet a reporter who can get the facts right as they have been given to him.

[swisstrains]

The official interim report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/h...7_grayrigg.pdf

[Yorky]

Oh dear, everyone knocks Branson! Can u imagine Sir Brian Robertson or even the Dr Beeching even bothering, at least the chap turned up and we know he is. The good thing about this tragedy is the the Pendelino's were strong enough to with stand the derailment. I find it amazing that the windows were intact.

[Shed Cat]

Originally Posted by Yorky

I find it amazing that the windows were intact.

On one hand it is very good as it keeps everyone in the train during the crash, as being flung out is usually much worse.

But after the crash if you had to get out in a hurry (fire etc) I wonder if you would be able to find one of them fiddly little hammers to break the windows?

If they are going to build coaches like aircraft fuselages, maybe we need emergency exit doors at the mid-length of the carriage?

[Trev]

Originally Posted by Yorky

Oh dear, everyone knocks Branson!

It's not so much a case of knocking Branson for the sake of it, but the man knows nothing whatsoever about railways! He's the money man, and that's about all. Had he appeared at the crash site along with the man/woman who is in charge of the railway part of the Branson empire, then I would have been more impressed. Kudos to him for turning up, and I'm certain that he was truly upset over the accident, but I think he should have restricted his comments to expressions of sympathy.

[John H-T]

I have missed out on most of this as I have been away in Poland. There seems to be quite a good analysis in Railway Herald.