Discussion: After Fatal Train Crash In Hoboken, Investigators Seek Answers

I have no idea what caused the crash. But people in RR operations will tell you that they have seen engineers respond to the “alerters” mentioned here so often that they can literally do it in their sleep…which when it happens defeats the purpose of the alerter.

If the locomotive was at the back of the train, then why was the engineer in the front car?

Some passenger trains have cabs in the front, where the engine is, and back of the train. So you don’t have to turn the engine around to go the other direction.

The Republicans are in the pocket of Big Bidness, and so would be expected to allow Big Rail to delay Positive Train Control (computerized train management as a function of GPS and track characteristics). But the Democrats have no such excuse. Why did the Democrats go along with the unanimous Senate delay of PTC? PTC would have prevented this serious situation. One person is dead, thousands upon thousands will be inconvenienced for months, one train is destroyed and the station is badly damaged. What is the cost of all that?