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DanGarion
06-22-2009, 05:50 PM
Anyone watching this? I can't find a map (The Metro website is hanging), I'm trying to figure out what the Red line is (which direction).

Live feed from FOX Channel in area. Live Video Streaming of WTTG FOX 5 Newscasts on myfoxdc (http://www.myfoxdc.com/subindex/live_video/live_newscasts)

I think it is sort of interesting the wording on the Metro Website. Metro - Rider Tools - Metro Service Status - Rail (http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_service_status/rail_Bus.cfm?)

Disruption system-wide. Customers traveling or connecting to the Red Line, due to significant Red Line delays, customers are encouraged to add an additional 30 minutes to their travel times.
red line icon Red Line

Disruption at Fort Totten. Trains are turning back at Rhode Island Ave & Silver Spring due to a train experiencing mechanical difficulties outside of Ft. Totten. Shuttle service has been established.
terpkristin
06-22-2009, 05:55 PM
File:WMATA system map.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WMATA_system_map.svg) should give you an idea of where the line is.

Basically, both ends are in Montgomery County and it U's down into DC.

/tk
terpkristin
06-22-2009, 05:56 PM
Also File:2030forwmatalarge.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2030forwmatalarge.png) but ignore the gray line that goes to DC. That's a proposed thing.
DanGarion
06-22-2009, 06:00 PM
Yeah I found it after I posted this. I was trying to figure out if it was the line I took when I was in DC a number of years back. But I was coming from the South (Herndon).
Passacaglia
06-22-2009, 06:03 PM
Also File:2030forwmatalarge.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2030forwmatalarge.png) but ignore the gray line that goes to DC. That's a proposed thing.

I'd rather not -- that would have been muy helpful last weekend. Instead, we had to take a hotel shuttle to Herndon-Monroe, and a bus from there to WFC.
DanGarion
06-22-2009, 06:05 PM
I'd rather not -- that would have been muy helpful last weekend. Instead, we had to take a hotel shuttle to Herndon-Monroe, and a bus from there to WFC.

I stayed at the Embassy Suites they shuttled me to the Park and Ride, then I took the bus to the Metro station and went to DC, I only was able to run around DC for about 3 hours.
terpkristin
06-22-2009, 06:06 PM
I'd rather not -- that would have been muy helpful last weekend. Instead, we had to take a hotel shuttle to Herndon-Monroe, and a bus from there to WFC.

Where did you stay?

I'd love it if the "silver" line comes but it's not happening any time soon if ever. I almost always drive into WFC and then either stay on orange or switch off to red. When I lived in College Park, I frequented the green and red lines.

/tk
Logan
06-22-2009, 06:45 PM
As I opened this thread a news clip popped up on TV and showed the crash. Crazy.
bhlloy
06-23-2009, 01:07 AM
I honestly can't believe this still happens. With all the technology in the world, we can't stop 2 things on a fixed track from crashing into each other? Planes have autopilot that saves them in almost every situation but an absolutely catastrophic one and we can't put a sensor on the tracks or the trains that says "oh shit, there's another train x meters/miles ahead, slam on the brakes"?

I'm sure I'm coming from a position of ignorance, but it just seems kinda... easy
M GO BLUE!!!
06-23-2009, 01:27 AM
I'm sure this has to be similar to the LA crash, where the operator was texting. Bhlloy is right though, that there needs to be a better system in place where someone, somewhere says "HEY!"

As horrific as this is, and not to slight the loss of life, but if anybody wants to say that trains are unsafe... remind them that on average, more than 100 people die every day in car crashes.
Mizzou B-ball fan
06-23-2009, 06:54 AM
I honestly can't believe this still happens. With all the technology in the world, we can't stop 2 things on a fixed track from crashing into each other? Planes have autopilot that saves them in almost every situation but an absolutely catastrophic one and we can't put a sensor on the tracks or the trains that says "oh shit, there's another train x meters/miles ahead, slam on the brakes"?

I'm sure I'm coming from a position of ignorance, but it just seems kinda... easy

There are sensors on the trains to keep this from happening. Obviously, one of the sensors malfunctioned or was not turned on.

I've rode on this line several times. Know right where the collision happened. Terrible stuff.
sterlingice
06-23-2009, 07:21 AM
I'm sure this has to be similar to the LA crash, where the operator was texting. Bhlloy is right though, that there needs to be a better system in place where someone, somewhere says "HEY!"

As horrific as this is, and not to slight the loss of life, but if anybody wants to say that trains are unsafe... remind them that on average, more than 100 people die every day in car crashes.

I know that when I'm in DC over this coming weekend, you can bet I'll be on the Metro to get everywhere. It's still the best way to get around.

To the first point, there's still the issue of technology as well as human error. You have a system where humans are still driving the machine so no matter how well you design the system, things can still happen when humans can override that control.

Not only that, but no machine is infallible. You can design something 100% safe in a controlled lab environment but that doesn't mean you can account for everything in the real world. You just can't predict everything that might happen. That's true of pretty much everything in engineering.

SI
lordscarlet
06-23-2009, 08:14 AM
My wife and I drove past the crash shite probably about 15 minutes before it happened.

I'd rather not -- that would have been muy helpful last weekend. Instead, we had to take a hotel shuttle to Herndon-Monroe, and a bus from there to WFC.

Metro - Home page (http://wmata.com) has a great "trip finder" system that makes it very easy to find your way.

I know that when I'm in DC over this coming weekend, you can bet I'll be on the Metro to get everywhere. It's still the best way to get around.

To the first point, there's still the issue of technology as well as human error. You have a system where humans are still driving the machine so no matter how well you design the system, things can still happen when humans can override that control.

Not only that, but no machine is infallible. You can design something 100% safe in a controlled lab environment but that doesn't mean you can account for everything in the real world. You just can't predict everything that might happen. That's true of pretty much everything in engineering.

SI

I would argue that the bus is the best way to get around DC, personally. Once you are inside the city limits, at least.

Metro used to have driverless trains. They were driven by a central computer or something. They stopped doing that at some point, I think partially because of how jerky the starts and stops were.
Passacaglia
06-23-2009, 08:22 AM
Where did you stay?


Herndon. We were at the Dulles Expo Center for most of the weekend, so we stayed out there.

Metro - Home page has a great "trip finder" system that makes it very easy to find your way.

Yeah, Chicago has the same thing. We just did what the hotel people told us to do, then once we were on the actual Metro, started looking at maps.
claphamsa
06-23-2009, 08:50 AM
funny thing is. the train that crashed was the one I ride almost every day. Good thing I was driving back from Boston at the time.
lordscarlet
06-23-2009, 09:06 AM
funny thing is. the train that crashed was the one I ride almost every day. Good thing I was driving back from Boston at the time.

I wouldn't really call that "funny", but I'm glad you weren't on it. :)
wade moore
06-23-2009, 10:31 AM
I was on the Yellow Line just after this happened.

We were hearing announcements about how the immediate stations around this were shutdown and shuttle service was being offered, but no explanation as to why. Then as we were getting off at Eisenhower they made an announcement for all Station Managers to put up "MAJOR DELAY" signs.

No explanation as to what was going on, etc. I didn't think much of it until I got back to Williamsburg and heard it on the radio.
Fighter of Foo
06-23-2009, 11:13 AM
As horrific as this is, and not to slight the loss of life, but if anybody wants to say that trains are unsafe... remind them that on average, more than 100 people die every day in car crashes.

We're too busy worrying about terrorists to think that clearly.
DanGarion
06-23-2009, 11:23 AM
We're too busy worrying about terrorists to think that clearly.

It was sort of morbidly amusing that all the idiots on Twitter were like. "OMG ANOTHER TRAIN CRASH!!!!!"


Like there had been a run on train crashes the past week or something.
terpkristin
06-23-2009, 05:23 PM
Herndon. We were at the Dulles Expo Center for most of the weekend, so we stayed out there.



Yeah, Chicago has the same thing. We just did what the hotel people told us to do, then once we were on the actual Metro, started looking at maps.

Well hell, wish I'd known! I live in Ashburn, just up 28 from the Expo Center.

/tk
Passacaglia
06-23-2009, 06:13 PM
Well hell, wish I'd known! I live in Ashburn, just up 28 from the Expo Center.

/tk

Doh! I remember from your location that you live in Ashburn, but I didn't even know that was the DC area. I'm pretty well familiar with 28 now, though -- at least that one five-mile stretch of it.
claphamsa
06-24-2009, 07:19 AM
And you didnt call me either! im crying pass!