Indian Runaway Train

[Joseph_Pestell]

BBC reporting a serious incident on Indian Railways with a train breaking its couplings and running away for 11km with thousands of passengers on board. What sort of brakes do they have on Indian Railways that the train was not stopped automatically?

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

What sort of brakes do they have on Indian Railways that the train was not stopped automatically?

 

Disconnected ones because parts are difficult to get?

[Steamport Southport]

Here's the link.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-43695813

 

 

 

A video of the incident, caught on a mobile phone camera, showed onlookers screaming as the carriages rolled backwards and past a railway platform.

 

Not really. It looks like it's railway staff telling people on the train to "pull the brake".

 

 

 

Jason

[Grovenor]

Here's the link.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-43695813

 

 

 

Not really. It looks like it's railway staff telling people on the train to "pull the brake".

 

 

 

Jason

Which would be totally ineffective, had the brakes been working the train would have stopped when it uncoupled.

I was rather surprised to note that the train had flashing red lamps on both ends.

Regards

[Colin_McLeod]

Shades of the Armagh accident.

[Mark Saunders]

Which would be totally ineffective, had the brakes been working the train would have stopped when it uncoupled.

I was rather surprised to note that the train had flashing red lamps on both ends.

Regards

 

Not if the cocks on the brake pipes are closed with the brakes released rather than being opened and vented on uncoupling!

[Supaned]

There were no "broken couplings" . From what I understand the train was undergoing a scheduled loco change. Whatever the shunter(s) did when the loco was removed led to the brakes being released on the stock , which being on a gradient ran away. In practise this is easier to do than it sounds depending upon the braking condition of the stock at the time of the shunt move.

 

Having been to India and seen how often "chain pulling" takes place (pulling the communication cord) , I'm surprised it got this far without anyone doing so, and also given how heavily staffed the trains are I'm surprised nobody thought to wind on a handbrake (if fitted).