Why do trains derail

The system has been underfunded for years , and federal legislation requires it to use the revenue it generates in the busy Northeast Corridor where most of its riders are to subsidize operations on the rest of its network, which lose money.

This has led to deteriorating track conditions in the Northeast Amtrak trains ride on tracks owned by freight companies elsewhere , even as passenger numbers steadily climb. It's impossible to say for sure, but this may have played a role in Tuesday's derailment.

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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Share this story Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Share All sharing options for: 4 facts everyone should know about train accidents. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. A derailed Amtrak train in Philadelphia on May The Washington Post highlights a good analogy on this, which comes from George Bibel's book Train Wreck: The Forensics of Rail Disasters : Most derailments are relatively benign, and can be compared to a person walking down the street, tripping, getting back up, and continuing on her or his way.

Human error has always been one of the most common reasons for any accident. From poor judgment to vision issues to impaired reactions, these factors can and do contribute to train disasters. Sometimes, a reckless or distracted pedestrian can cause a collision by standing on or crossing the tracks at the wrong time.

In other scenarios, the driver of a car, truck, motorcycle or other motor vehicle can cause an accident by leaving their vehicle parked on a train track or trying to beat the train across a crossing. The train operator, railway employees and the company itself can do everything within their ability to follow all the required safety procedures, but a train accident can still happen.

Mechanical failure and defective parts are more rare than other common causes of train collisions, but they do occasionally happen. Trains are large machines with complex systems and many moving parts.

All of the different systems must work together perfectly to provide locomotive and electric power. If some piece of guidance equipment such as a rail switch or safety equipment such as a rail signal fails, it can cause a deadly accident. Time and again, car accident data proves that driving recklessly fast can lead to serious injuries and deaths. Trains are no exception. Many train accidents in recent years showed that the faster the train, the worse the consequences become in the event of a crash and the higher likelihood of derailment.

Obstruction is a common issue with the tracks and can cause train derailment. Foreign objects left inadvertently at the site where the train will pass can be deadly. Conductors should be aware of their surroundings at all times to manage a potentially dangerous situation quickly and safely.

However, in some cases, a conductor fails to see these obstacles at all or in time to stop a collision. A derailment is when a train runs off its rail, either because of a collision with another object, a conductor error, mechanical track failure, broken rails, or defective wheels. However, a serious derailment can be catastrophic if it occurs while the train is moving at a high rate of speed. Train derailments and train accidents in general can be fatal.

In , there were fatalities recorded as a result of train accidents across the country with California contributing deaths. Train derailments are the most common type of train accident in the United States.

Whether occurring on the main tracks, the side tracks or the yard tracks, derailments are particularly dangerous because of the speed in which trains move. This makes the potential force on impact calamitous. Research shows that track-related factors are the leading cause of train derailments. These factors include:.

Equipment failure in trains and cars, where they block tracks leading to derailments, are the second leading cause of train derailments. It can include speeding, not obeying safety signs, not communicating with the operator, vandalism, violating switching or mainline rules, track switches having been incorrectly set, or the driver in poor physical condition.

High winds, rockslides, flash floods, and avalanches are the fourth most common cause of train derailments. If you were injured in a train accident, or have lost a loved one in this type of accident, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at now for a free legal consultation. Do You Have A Case?