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German train accident probe eyes safety checks
German train probe eyes safety checks-by Melissa Eddy
LATHEN, Germany - Investigators were trying to determine Saturday if controllers performed all the necessary safety checks before a high-speed magnetic train crashed into a maintenance vehicle, killing 23 people, a prosecutor said Saturday. He said maintenance workers are supposed to inform the control room when the vehicle has been taken off the track, and controllers must then ensure it is safely in its garage. Only then are controllers permitted to turn on the electrical power that allows the train‘s driver to start moving.
The company also said the accident appeared to be the result of human error.Maglev technology has been around for years, but it has not caught on even as high-speed train service has expanded using the conventional wheels-and-rails approach. Concerns have included the expense of building new lines.While countries like Japan, with its Shinkansen bullet train, and France, which has its TGV system, along with Germany operate high-speed rail service, only China has a commercially operating maglev service. The Transrapid line, built with German technology from ThyssenKrupp AG and Siemens AG, links Shanghai's Pudong International Airport with the city's financial district. It covers nearly 20 miles at up to 270 mph.
The Chinese government said earlier that work will begin this year on a second maglev line linking Shanghai and the resort city of Hangzhou, a $4.4-billion, high-speed line.
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