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High-speed train crash in Spain kills at least 64, injures 80 (www.euronews.com)
submitted 9 hours ago by Zapados@sh.itjust.works to c/world@quokk.au
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[-] psycotica0@lemmy.ca 10 points 5 hours ago

Before people freak out and say "Wow, I guess we shouldn't trust trains", in Q1 of 2026, 90 days, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 7770 people died from cars in the US. That's an average of 86 people a day, every day, from cars. And they considered that a good number, because it was down 4% from other quarters!

So yes, this is a tragedy. But it's also a rare occurrence that probably killed fewer people than October 28th alone did on the streets of car central.

[-] blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 5 hours ago

This is an article about Spain.

Why are you sharing statistics from the US?

[-] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 hours ago

because train nay sayers love the USA

[-] piccolo@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 hours ago

To prove drivers in the us are more dangerous than in spain.

[-] JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 hours ago

See America, THIS is why we can't have passenger rail! Now go drive on the highway and don't think too much.

[-] altphoto@lemmy.today 1 points 4 hours ago

The best resource for travel is flying aluminum tubes. Get in on of those things. Its safe and very fast.

[-] Mihies@programming.dev 11 points 8 hours ago

I really don't get it. How is it even possible for two trains to collide in 2026, computer error or not? What a tragedy.

[-] virku@lemmy.world 13 points 7 hours ago

According to what I have read in Norwegian media: It was human error. The traffic controller said both should proceed at normal speed. The stationary train in the front told the controller that they were unable to start the train. But this message didn't end up relayed to the train gunning towards it. The procedure was also that the trains should run at 40 kmh when there was the signal issue that was there. But they were told to use normal speed which is 320 kmh.

[-] iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world 2 points 38 minutes ago

The problem is the automatic signaling system was malfunctioning. Since at least the day before. So they had the guy working old style. I think that's the main issue... Not timely maintenance.

[-] Mihies@programming.dev 5 points 5 hours ago

Yup, but still, there is one track, two objects moving towards each other. Is there truly no technology that can prevent this situation regardless of human errors?

[-] iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world 1 points 36 minutes ago* (last edited 36 minutes ago)

Yes there was. And it was malfunctioning. Since at least the day before, as some train engineers reported. So they were doing it old style in the meantime.

[-] BlackVenom@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

Signalling, especially in another country, is not my specialty... But stateside (where tech can range from 2026 latest to akin to 1926).. there would have been a trackside signal that the moving train would've had to ignore... On top of the dispatch/comms screw up. I, like you, would have assumed there'd be some positive control preventing the trains from being on the same section of track or at least at high speed. Hopefully this will spark safety initiatives to improve signalling and train control.

[-] Mihies@programming.dev 1 points 2 hours ago

It probably boils down to costs, because passengers lives are cheap, sensors are not apparently.

[-] virku@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

They were supposed to move the same way. There was an issue with the signaling somehow so they had red lights, but the traffic controller overrode it by telling them to go. Had both trains started moving instead of just the back one this wouldn't have happened.

[-] snoons@lemmy.ca 1 points 8 hours ago

I'll make a guess and say AI. Either by sucking up resources that would otherwise have been used to replace aging hardware or slop in the firmware of whichever system failed. Eh, just a guess though.

Rest In Peace Travellers.

this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2026
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