Italy train crash: 'Ten killed' near Bari

[Berlin Expat]

Last edited Tue Jul 12, 2016, 08:49 AM - Edit history (2)

Source: BBC

Ten people have been killed and dozens more hurt in a head-on collision involving two passenger trains in southern Italy, reports say.

The two trains were on a single-track line at the time of the crash, between the coastal towns of Bari and Barletta.

Emergency services are trying to free passengers from the wrecked carriages near the town of Andria.

"I think there are many dead," local fire brigade commander Riccardo Zingaro told Rai TV.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36774059

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Apparently, two passenger trains collided head-on at full speed on a single line of track. Very sad news.

UPDATE: 20 confirmed dead, 35 injured. Here's an Italian-language article, which you can run through GoogleTranslate: http://www.lettera43.it/cronaca/puglia-scontro-tra-due-treni-a-nord-di-bari_43675253156.htm

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. "200 trains every day" seems a hell of a lot for a single track line

That's a train every 6 minutes, for 20 hours. For a single direction line, that might be manageable, but for one where the direction changes and trains have to clear the line, they must be scheduled incredibly close.

[Berlin Expat]

2. Yes, it is

a hell of a lot for a single-track line. As to how they run it, I've never been to that particular part of Italy (only to Rome) so I honestly can't speak as to how it's managed. Nonetheless, something went horribly wrong.

[liberal N proud]

3. AP now reporting 20 dead

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/official-20-dead-in-head-on-train-crash-in-southern-italy/ar-BBuf56q?li=BBnb7Kz

[LittleGirl]

4. NBC reporting 20 now sigh. eom

[notawinger]

5. Wow

My Italian neighbor is from Bari

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Adding links

It has a Wikipedia entry:

Andria-Corato train collision

Trainorders:

European Railroad Discussion > At least 4 Dead in Italian Head-on collision

[Berlin Expat]

7. Thanks for

the links.

This from the Wikpedia article stood out:

The accident occurred on one of the remaining single track sections. On the single track sections the line operates with "telephone block" signalling, where station masters must notify the arrival of trains and inform drivers whether it is safe to proceed.

That's seriously old-school. Wow. What a tragedy. The Wiki entry goes on to state...

The rail operator has said that it has safeguarded records of the communications of the stations at either end of the single track section and the phone calls made between the station masters and the two drivers.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. "That's seriously old-school. Wow."

Good golly; I'll say.

Twenty years ago, I watched a British film on the history of railway signaling. Every system had a weak link that was waiting to be found.