Commuter, freight trains collide near L.A.

What a tragedy!! :(

Horrible accident, I am watching it right now on the news. The reporters were confused when asking the rep of the Metrolink where the locamotive is, since it is suppose to be pulling the trains and they only see one unit in the front. The rep replies that the reason why we only see one unit is that the locamotive has been pushed into the passenger train. So sad...

Some local radio commentators said about half an hour ago that 6 people in the first car of the passenger train were killed, and then the quickie news on the same station immediately reported that 4 people were dead. They are reporting people being transported by helicopter for emergency medical treatment, and also that people (presumably uninjured) are being transported by bus from the scene of the accident. I guess we will have to wait for something definitive.

Terrible tragedy. This must have been terrifying for these poor people. This is the second big train crash in this area.

That's crazy. Not only in movies that's for sure. Pretty scary stuff.

i remember the glendale train wreck..i was awakened to a loud crash..and i jumped in my car to see where it happened..was only 2 minutes from where i lived..i remember it well..i was able to see the car that the idiot left on the tracks..and i found the rear door to his jeep on the side of the tracks..wedged in a hole on the side of a fence..it was a horrorible site to see..i just cant imagine this happening again..never seen so much carnage in my life..it something i will never forget as long as i live..this fool is in prison..he should have been executed for this..not spend time in a prison..i just hope that the people that were in this train wreck truly make it out ok..after what i seen in glendale..ca...it made me think..how many fools woulod do a thing like this..it only takes one......

dont they have any communication between these machines..

Tragedy is that railway administrations are rigid and fail to implement available cost effective safety solutions. The Anti Collision device network invented by me precisely addresses and prevents such tragic events and tested and proven over 7 years certified by Lloyds UK group and assessed by TUV Rheinland Germany too. It is a non-signal safety equipment - a small box mounted on all moving trains which assures that no two trains collide dangerously to lose lives, independent of human inputs nor actions and independent of local signal or train control systems. World Intellectual Property Office praised this invention, implemented over thousand kilometers and tested extensively too. The National geographic too covered this invention internationally with graphic depiction of how really two trains come automatically to a stop with the inventor standing between them . But lobbies of traditional signal companies invest to block as it is too economical and may hurt their expensive not that efficient systems. Real tragedy is we have solutions but insensitive administrations playing into the hands of lobbies promoting their self-interest!

Raj, try again. Maybe they'll listen to you this time. Good luck!

In this world of computer controlled everything I am astounded that such a thing could happen. I assume the computers were not at fault but the person controlling them.

Rajaram Bojji when you done this study how fast were the trains going and how far apart were they when you started the study. depending on speed and tonnage trains take over a mile to stop.

Horrible event... I just today finished listening the Secret and the Law of Attraction, how powerful our thoughts are. I found it shocking to hear that the man who was in the '95 accident was talking about THAT accident while on THIS Amtrak and at the exact same time that THIS accident occured.

This is a terrible tragedy, especially in our "modern world". Devices to avoid these tragedies, like that described by Rajaram Bojji, are available. Why not use them? Because the lobbies control our lives!
The Federal Government should be ashamed of this, but the faceless bureaucrats need never take responsibility for these events. In this day and age, two moving trains should NEVER collide, except in the most extreme of situations, or due to sabotage.
I have lived in China for many years, and, IMO, the rail system here is nothing short of amazing. The Chinese have their share of rail accidents, it is true. However, if you consider the the fact that they move hundreds of MILLIONS of passengers per year, AND freight, the collision rate comparison between the USA and China is ridiculous.
Believe me, if the Chinese can do it, then the USA can do it better. The question is: "why don't they?"

From the NTSB Most Wanted Safety Improvements;

Railroad Implement Positive Train Control Systems

Objective Prevent train collisions and overspeed accidents by requiring automatic control systems to override mistakes made by human operators.

STATUS Acceptable response, progressing slowly

Action Needed by the Federal Railroad Administration.

The photography is not that good but from what I can see there is a long swiping curve with trees and foliage on both sides. The trains appear to be facing each other. If that is true then they had a head on collision but at this point there is no way to know if both trains were moving. I could only see one set of tracks in the film. If that is true then only one train should have been on the mainline. The other should have been in the siding until the train with the right-of-way cleared. Then the train in the siding would have been given a signal to proceed. There is know way to know if or who made the mistake. It could have been human error, signal malfunction or mechanical malfunction. The curve may have played a role in the collision making it impossible to see the other train until it was too late.

The NTSB will be able to follow the course of both trains and determine what went wrong. Hopefully no one starts making accusations until all the facts are in. Years ago an engineer was said to be at fault for a horrific derailment. The investigation showed that it was computer error and the train was carrying more weight then it had brakes to stop. The engineer never new what hit him? I feel very sad for all those involved, crew and passengers.

What a horrific tragedy! My thoughts and prayers are with the families.
If Mr. Bojji's invention is truly as good as he claims it to be, then most certainly this is something that needs to be implemented YESTERDAY!
I have questions as to how that system could stop a freight train, with the thousands upon thousands of tonnage, but, if it works, what are we waiting for? More human loss of life and suffering of those who survived such a nightmare, along with the untold grief for many, many loved ones and friends of the victims?

I could be an armchair quarterback on this scene, but it would make no sense. We need to let the NTSB
do their job and, hopefully, this will not be repeated in a LONG time, or better yet, NEVER!

Of course, we can't always stop the person who chooses to end their life by staying on the train tracks at a crossing, or those who are unbelievably stupid and try to beat the train! A fatality occurred southwest of this tragedy within an hour, or so, when a car was hit by a Metrolink train, in Riverside County, CA.

Conan O'brien show prophesies train wreck

Did anyone see it as a strange coincidence on friday nights show that they did a segment using two trains that collided with each other head on just as news coming out of California took place of a real train head on collision. I found it to be an interesting coincidence. When is the last time, if ever, anyone did a toy train crash on TV much less the same day one really happened. And in my lifetime I have never heard of a head to head train wreck, not in my 30 years... comments?

Freight railroads & commuter/passenger railways need to have separate track networks with integrated communications & traffic/safety control & total road/highway grade separation.
Moving the incredible amount of traffic on single tracks as shown on the video of the commuter/freight train accident could be interchanged with, let's say a hypothetical similar incident happening in 1878 when single track railroads were the norm in the early days of California's railways.
We must all support Los Angeles for attempting to restore the dismantled Pacific Electric interurban railway system that was one of the world's finest & largest. More than 50 years of allocating billions of dollars for investment in roads, highways, freeways, parking lots & endless, senseless suburban sprawl that catered to the automobile utopia monopoly makes a return to efficient public transport a necessary but sometimes very painful & costly process.

I know that this is a tragedy, but I also know that the metro train was headed for Simi Valley BEFORE Moorpark or Camarillo, yet this was never specifically stated in reports. I believe that relatives/friends (who don't live locally) of people known to live in Simi Valley who may have been on that train may not have known that their relatives/friends could have been in danger/injured/dead. Please give FULL details on any occurrence like this so that all concerned can be completely informed.

And to Lisa-522612: I hope that you are not suggesting that this conversation had anything at all to do with today's wreck!

Lastly, an eyewitness stated that both trains were moving when they met. Time and investigation will possibly be able to prove what actually happened, especially if the 'black box' is intact.

My condolences to the families. Of course, it's unacceptable. The people who are responsible for security should be arrested! Normally, a dozen different individuals should be watching the positions of all trains at any given moment. It is virtually impossible that all ten saw nothing! There is a monitor where you can see where the trains are and which way they are headed. Had someone been alert, both could have been ordered to apply breaks! The only explanation for this type of accident, other than gross operator negligence, is sabotage. In such case, someone may have tampered with the controls, especially the semaphores. The tragedy in this country is compounded by the cavalier tendency to bury the investigations in time. This case should not take more than a week to solve and punish the responsible!

Graveyard technologies. Unfortunately sometimes a series of tragedies with massive loss of life is the only way to convince our government to come up with new regulations. It was and will most likely always be the case. Seatbelt and laminated tempered winshield glass became mandatory after some close relative of a CEO of a giant auto company got killed in a horrific accident. Those who fail to learn from the past is doom to repeat it... we'll never learn.

Condolences to the victims, their families and the brave firefighters who had to once again, clean up someone else's mess---no doubt another jerk-off who was asleep at the switch instead of doing their job!

I think this is the most absurd tragedy which is easily controlled by the innovation's available today. You can comment all you want about lobbyists etc. but this is simply utterly ridiculous! To even imagine that some CEO @!$%# would put lives in harms way, and they are talking about using rail as a less expensive travel media over airlines and they think we are going to board these things with these absolute idiots at the helm. Have I made myself clear,,,, I think it was a little overboard, but we need to avenge this stupidity and shrug this travel, and simply not show up at the depot until this is permanently resolved and all precautions are in place along with responsible government individuals ready to answer for any violations. If any of your senators of congressmen had any cohones, and would do something for their (hardearned) keep for a change instead of us hearing about the only things they get caught at, $4,300 prostitutes, taking bribes from the corporations, drinking up your wages in the D.C. bars in the afternoons, then only to take the private jet you bought to a laison in the Bahamas.

I think I said enough.