Is It Potters Bar All Over Again?
When I first read the reports of the French train crash at Bretigny-sur-Orge, it struck me there were some similarities between the crash that happened at Potters Bar in the UK in 2002.
In that accident faulty points were the cause of the train coming off the track just before Potters Bar station, with one coach getting wedged on the platform.
Now this morning the BBC is carrying a report, which says that in France, there are reports saying that a loose rail connector caused the crash.
Poor track checking and maintenance was definitely a cause of the crash at Potter Bar and it is stated in the BBC report, that this could be the cause in France. The BBC quotes this from the respected French newspaper; Le Figaro.
Bertille Bayart in Le Figaro says the accident, which comes days after the government announced investments in the railways, will spark controversy over infrastructure that is “characterised by ‘serious degradation’, in the words of the transport minister”.
I think the moral is that you cut down on checking and maintenance on the railways at your peril.
But just as at Potters Bar, the French train managed to protect a lot of the passengers despite the extremely violent crash. Trains are a lot stronger than you might think.
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The Anonymous Widower 
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