Bruehl Train Disaster: Whose Fault?

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News from Germany raises serious questions about crash:

Bruehl Train Disaster: Whose Fault?

Rumors about Insufficient Information of the Driver Cologne/Bruehl - 18 February (rpo.)

According to journalistic research by the "ARD" (First German State Television) political magazine "Monitor", the train crash in Bruehl (just south of Cologne) was not all the driver's fault. The magazine reported that the driver had been insufficiently informed about the situation at Bruehl Station.

Apparently, the central control office failed to inform the 28 year-old about taking special precautions when passing a switch shortly before entering the station. The respective radio message was not sent until after the accident.

The public prosecutor's office in Cologne has now entered an investigation against the head of the control office.

The train crash, which happened one and a half weeks ago, cost the lives of eight people. 150 passengers were injured.

The TV show went on to report there had been a so-called "slow-speed sign", but one that indicated a maximum speed of 120 kilometers, which is precisely the speed the train had when the accident happened. According to the report, the signs were secretly removed after the accident. On top of this, the slow-speed regulations known to the driver had been confusing and - in part - contradictory.

Professor Joern Pachl of the Braunschweig Technological University said the speed at such a switch should have been as low as 40 kilometers an hour: "While the driver certainly made a mistake, the crash was not all his fault." There had been many confusing signals and regulations leading to the driver's decision to take the switch at 120 kilometers. According to "WDR" (West German Radio), the Federal Rail Office (EBA: Eisenbahn-Bundesamt) has meanwhile acknowledged the wrong signposts.

http://www.rp-online.de/german-news/00_02_18.shtml#jump4

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 18, 2000


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