Tram derailed in Croydon

[Del Fenner]

Like others have said, I'm left wondering how so many lives could have been lost given that it was a tram and that it looks like it derailed and fell on its side rather than crash into something. It's a horrific tragedy though and no mistake. Thoughts with all those affected.

Looking at the final resting place of the tram, and the fact that the two posts adjacent now have a significant lean away with corresponding marks on the tram roof, it appears that the tram was thrown off the track to the right and the solid tram body smashed into the two solid posts, decelerating the tram in a very short distance, with resulting horrific injuries.

 

[Del Fenner]

I think that comes under "a number of factors". I thought trams had a 'dead man's handle'.

Apparently on trains they require sensors on the track that wouldn't work with a tram system?

 

[drew]

Apparently on trains they require sensors on the track that wouldn't work with a tram system?

The dead man's handle would be different though. If the driver falls asleep or blacks out he would release the handle that stops the train/tram. The sensors you refer to are probably likely to detect if the tram/train is speeding in an area (and presumably send a signal to slow down or do it automatically).

 

[Buzzer]

Looking at the final resting place of the tram, and the fact that the two posts adjacent now have a significant lean away with corresponding marks on the tram roof, it appears that the tram was thrown off the track to the right and the solid tram body smashed into the two solid posts, decelerating the tram in a very short distance, with resulting horrific injuries.

Cheers for that reply. I'd shied away from looking at any photos as I'm extremely squeamish.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

My mate is on site as part of the recovery team of the tram, he says it's not pleasant.

 

[El Presidente]

This is a very sad day for all concerned with the accident. Anyone out to make cheap points against their imagined enemies will have posting rights on the thread removed.

 

[clapham_gull]

Christ.

Been out all day and only just saw the news. Been on those trams loads of times.

Terrible news.

I never thought they traveled that fast.

 

[Flex Your Head]

I was in Brighton on Saturday for The Raincoats gig, and only got back to East Croydon just in time to get the last tram to Beckenham Junction. The splitting of the track where the accident happened is really sharp, almost a right angle, whether you're heading to Beckenham Junction and Elmer's End, or New Addington.



On Saturday night's tram, on several occasions, I thought to myself that the driver seemed to keen to get home, and going round that bend, we really screeched on the tracks, far more so than usual. And when we were out of the bend, the tram accelerated away way faster than I ever thought was possible. At a stop further on from there, we barely stopped - the doors opened for a split second and instantly closed before we sped off again.
When I got home, I actually commented to my fiancee that the tram driver was 'a bit of a boy racer'.

Obviously that is almost certainly a coincidence, but I only heard the news this evening, and it really shook me, especially when it was mentioned that the driver had been arrested. I honestly can't believe a driver would fall asleep as the stops are so close to each other - you never really travel for more than 2 minutes without stopping.

Whatever the cause, it's truly shocking. Heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those poor people.

 

[Milano]

I turned the BBC News on shortly after 10, it is now 10.22 and it is STILL about the US presidency. Now I hope to God the tram disaster was the first story and I missed it?

 

[Ernest]

I honestly can't believe a driver would fall asleep as the stops are so close to each other - you never really travel for more than 2 minutes without stopping.
.

Micro sleeps . If you have never done shift work getting up at 3am etc then you'd never know what they're like

 

[Del Fenner]

One 20 year old Palace fan from New Addington is among those dead.

Rest in peace.

 

[Sheebo]

Horrendous Thoughts with all those affected.

Of course, it matters little if anyone's to 'blame' as far as this tragedy goes - it won't change what's happened - tragic

 

[Springal]

I was in Brighton on Saturday for The Raincoats gig, and only got back to East Croydon just in time to get the last tram to Beckenham Junction. The splitting of the track where the accident happened is really sharp, almost a right angle, whether you're heading to Beckenham Junction and Elmer's End, or New Addington.

View attachment 79304

On Saturday night's tram, on several occasions, I thought to myself that the driver seemed to keen to get home, and going round that bend, we really screeched on the tracks, far more so than usual. And when we were out of the bend, the tram accelerated away way faster than I ever thought was possible. At a stop further on from there, we barely stopped - the doors opened for a split second and instantly closed before we sped off again.
When I got home, I actually commented to my fiancee that the tram driver was 'a bit of a boy racer'.

Obviously that is almost certainly a coincidence, but I only heard the news this evening, and it really shook me, especially when it was mentioned that the driver had been arrested. I honestly can't believe a driver would fall asleep as the stops are so close to each other - you never really travel for more than 2 minutes without stopping.

Whatever the cause, it's truly shocking. Heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those poor people.

I hope you report this, just in case it is the same driver

 

[Sheebo]

One 20 year old Palace fan from New Addington is among those dead.

Rest in peace.

RIP - times like this remind us that football is just a game and life is so much more than that. Thoughts are with the young lad's family & friends x

 

[Milano]

The BBC 10 o'clock news, at 10 f'ing 30 they bother to report on a major disaster in OUR capital city. Unbelievable.

 

[Norman Potting]

RIP - times like this remind us that football is just a game and life is so much more than that. Thoughts are with the young lad's family & friends x

My thoughts as well, seven folk set off for work yesterday and never arrived. The two young runners who never got to their training session on Tuesday evening also saddened me, particularly as I have two slightly younger daughters who are both keen sport participants.

The world will still go on with Mr T as President, I am confident that his party will reign in some of his more bonkers proposals.

 

[DavidRyder]

The BBC 10 o'clock news, at 10 f'ing 30 they bother to report on a major disaster in OUR capital city. Unbelievable.

It was the same on Sky News - appalling. Both channels should be ashamed.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Yes it is. Looking from Sandilands the Beckenham Junction service turns left and the New Addington service turns right.

Indeed. The turn from Beckenham is almost as sharp. I've been on that route many times on the way to and from a certain club's training ground. The thing about trams and light rail (eg the DLR) is that they can have much tighter turns as the speeds are meant to be that much lower. QED, I suppose. But even so, that many dead?

 

[Official Old Man]

So I heard the first report of this some time around 06:30 just after it happened on BBC 5Live. Any other day this would be headlines but I heard very little other than 'two people believed to be trapped' right up until maybe 12:00. Why did the media not cover this story. Even this morning, 24 hours later, it is still down the list. Are all the journalists in the USA perhaps.

 

[Ernest]

Indeed. The turn from Beckenham is almost as sharp. I've been on that route many times on the way to and from a certain club's training ground. The thing about trams and light rail (eg the DLR) is that they can have much tighter turns as the speeds are meant to be that much lower. QED, I suppose. But even so, that many dead?

This surprised me as from the pictures there doesn't seem to be much damage to the tram unless it was from the impact. The inquiry will shed more light on it