Person hit by Amtrak Acela train near Newport, DE

[AmtrakBlue]

Person hit by Amtrak Acela train near Newport

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130105/NEWS01/130105006/Person-hit-by-Amtrak-Acela-train-near-Newport

 

[the_traveler]

At least it wasn't Newport, RI or the AE would have been 15 miles off track - and with a bay in between!

 

[crescent2]

Condolences to and prayers for all involved. Very sad for all no matter what the circumstances.

 

[Texan Eagle]

How do so many trespassers end up being hit by Acela all so often? Has it got to do something with the fact that Acelas are popular as the fastest trains in the country and potential suicide seekers feel somehow getting stuck by the fastest train will be a guaranteed way to death and choose that over, say, SEPTA or NJTransit or even Regionals?

 

[Ryan]

I don't think that there's anything to that. Just random noise.

At least it wasn't Newport, RI or the AE would have been 15 miles off track - and with a bay in between!

Or Newport, VA, which isn't anywhere near an Acela!

 

[TimePeace]

How do so many trespassers end up being hit by Acela all so often? Has it got to do something with the fact that Acelas are popular as the fastest trains in the country and potential suicide seekers feel somehow getting stuck by the fastest train will be a guaranteed way to death and choose that over, say, SEPTA or NJTransit or even Regionals?

Still, perhaps it's a bit early to decide it was suicide...

 

[MattW]

I don't know, I personally take the stance that if you're on the Right of Way outside of a grade crossing or otherwise authorized, you're trying to commit suicide, whether you recognize it or not. I actually believe that instead of just writing tickets for being stopped on the railroad crossing, motorists that deliberately stop on top of tracks should also be charged with attempted suicide.

 

[the_traveler]

At least it wasn't Newport, RI or the AE would have been 15 miles off track - and with a bay in between!

Or Newport, VA, which isn't anywhere near an Acela!

Or Newport, CA or Newport, OR either. :giggle:

 

[amtrakwolverine]

I don't know, I personally take the stance that if you're on the Right of Way outside of a grade crossing or otherwise authorized, you're trying to commit suicide, whether you recognize it or not. I actually believe that instead of just writing tickets for being stopped on the railroad crossing, motorists that deliberately stop on top of tracks should also be charged with attempted suicide.

And if you got passengers in the car then it should be attempted murder.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

At least it wasn't Newport, RI or the AE would have been 15 miles off track - and with a bay in between!

Or Newport, VA, which isn't anywhere near an Acela!

Or Newport, CA or Newport, OR either. :giggle:

Which is why I added the ", DE" to the title of this thread. Because, being in a local newspaper, the article did not include the state in it's headline.

 

[tomfuller]

"Person" hit by train? The body must have been mangled if they could not determine the gender.

Usually it is "The name will be released pending notification of next of kin".

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

The Acela keeps striking trespassers. This must be a suicide, but it's even worse because you just gave the engineer nightmares for days. Amtrak should take measures to stop these, especially on its own tracks.

 

[the_traveler]

Amtrak should take measures to stop these, especially on its own tracks.

That's kind of like saying "Cities should take measures to stop traffic accidents or building fires within their own cities" - Amtrak does what it can. If anyone is determined to do anything, there's no easy way to stop them. Banks and military bases have security measures in place, but still things happen.

 

[ne52]

How do so many trespassers end up being hit by Acela all so often? Has it got to do something with the fact that Acelas are popular as the fastest trains in the country and potential suicide seekers feel somehow getting stuck by the fastest train will be a guaranteed way to death and choose that over, say, SEPTA or NJTransit or even Regionals?

Though it's probably not really the reason here, when the Acelas fly by on a center track, I've always thought how quiet they approach and how little notice that horn gives you. Anyone trespassing without suicidal thoughts would have very little time to get out of the way at those speeds.

 

[ne52]

The Acela keeps striking trespassers. This must be a suicide, but it's even worse because you just gave the engineer nightmares for days. Amtrak should take measures to stop these, especially on its own tracks.

They police the right of way pretty regularly and have installed heavy duty fences in some parts to discourage trespassers just looking to cross. A teenage girl was hit where kids had cut a hole in a chain link fence a couple of years ago and used the NEC tracks north of Baltimore as a shortcut. Amtrak put up an iron fence in response.

I don't know what steps they'd take to stop someone who wants to step in front of a train on purpose, especially outside of the corridors. If they're that determined, they'll find a way.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

The Acela keeps striking trespassers. This must be a suicide, but it's even worse because you just gave the engineer nightmares for days. Amtrak should take measures to stop these, especially on its own tracks.

They police the right of way pretty regularly and have installed heavy duty fences in some parts to discourage trespassers just looking to cross. A teenage girl was hit where kids had cut a hole in a chain link fence a couple of years ago and used the NEC tracks north of Baltimore as a shortcut. Amtrak put up an iron fence in response.

I don't know what steps they'd take to stop someone who wants to step in front of a train on purpose, especially outside of the corridors. If they're that determined, they'll find a way.

Add more steel fences. Not just iron, at least some carbon steel. No backing down from trespassers, especially when it compromises safety.

 

[Ryan]

Why?

It's an expensive solution, and the problem solves itself.

 

[TimePeace]

Why?

It's an expensive solution, and the problem solves itself.

Can you explain the solving itself part of that statement?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Why?

It's an expensive solution, and the problem solves itself.

Solves itself? As in the trespassers get themselves killed?

 

[Ryan]

Exactly.

We spend far too much time and money nerfing things around us to make the world safe for people with no common sense.

You want to wander around on the tracks? Go right ahead, train'll be along shortly to clear you out.

 

[TimePeace]

Exactly.

We spend far too much time and money nerfing things around us to make the world safe for people with no common sense.

You want to wander around on the tracks? Go right ahead, train'll be along shortly to clear you out.

Oh I see. And the problems of train crew trauma, public safety teams and law enforcement being called out, train delays, etc etc are all magically solved - all we have to do is adopt that callous attitude.

Simple, isn't it, can't imagine why I didn't think of that.

 

[SarahZ]

You cannot save people from their own stupidity, no matter how much money you throw into it. It's sad but true. Yes, of course it's unfortunate someone died, and I'm not trying to be cold about it, but there is a limit to just how much bubble-wrapping and hand-holding we can do.

 

[Texan Eagle]

The Acela keeps striking trespassers. This must be a suicide, but it's even worse because you just gave the engineer nightmares for days. Amtrak should take measures to stop these, especially on its own tracks.

They police the right of way pretty regularly and have installed heavy duty fences in some parts to discourage trespassers just looking to cross. A teenage girl was hit where kids had cut a hole in a chain link fence a couple of years ago and used the NEC tracks north of Baltimore as a shortcut. Amtrak put up an iron fence in response.

I don't know what steps they'd take to stop someone who wants to step in front of a train on purpose, especially outside of the corridors. If they're that determined, they'll find a way.

Add more steel fences. Not just iron, at least some carbon steel. No backing down from trespassers, especially when it compromises safety.

And carbon steel fences will stop trespasser problem? Guess what, people looking for suicide or just shortcuts can cross rail tracks from platforms too.

Jump off the platform in the path of an oncoming train. Now what? Simple. Install platform-edge glass walls like some subways have. Only few million dollars more.

But then, people can also get on to the tracks from railroad crossings. Now? Well, eliminate all grade crossings. Build bridges, elevate entire railway lines. Few billion dollars only.

I am sure Amtrak and the US Government in general has a few billion dollars in surplus lying around that can be put to use for this purpose, right?

Long story short, you cannot stop a person from killing him/herself if he has determined to do so. Remember the famous quote from when it was proposed to fence entire US-Mexico border? "You show me a 50 foot wall? I'll show you a 51 foot ladder"

 

[Ryan]

Exactly.

We spend far too much time and money nerfing things around us to make the world safe for people with no common sense.

You want to wander around on the tracks? Go right ahead, train'll be along shortly to clear you out.

Oh I see. And the problems of train crew trauma, public safety teams and law enforcement being called out, train delays, etc etc are all magically solved - all we have to do is adopt that callous attitude.

Simple, isn't it, can't imagine why I didn't think of that.

None of those will be solved by constructing a thousand miles of "impenetrable" barrier.

 

[TimePeace]

Exactly.

We spend far too much time and money nerfing things around us to make the world safe for people with no common sense.

You want to wander around on the tracks? Go right ahead, train'll be along shortly to clear you out.

Oh I see. And the problems of train crew trauma, public safety teams and law enforcement being called out, train delays, etc etc are all magically solved - all we have to do is adopt that callous attitude.

Simple, isn't it, can't imagine why I didn't think of that.

None of those will be solved by constructing a thousand miles of "impenetrable" barrier.

That is a legitimate point. However, it does not prove your point which preceded my comment, that the problem is self-solving, which implied that the only problem was the deaths of the people.

Why?

 

>>It's an expensive solution, and the problem solves itself. <<

The problems are not self-solving, and I suggest that your comments are counter-productive as well as callous.