High winds can blow railway trains off tracks and cause accidents. [1]
High winds
editHigh winds can cause problems in a number of ways:
- blow trains off the tracks.
- blow trains or wagons along the tracks and cause collisions.
- cause pantographs and overhead wiring to tangle.
Preventative measures
editRisks from high winds can be reduced by:
- wind fences akin to snow sheds
- lower profile of carriages
- reduction in train speed
By country
editChina
edit- Lanxin High-Speed Railway#Wind related accident
- List of rail accidents (2000–2009) - February 28, 2007 – Wind blows 10 passenger rail cars off the track near Turpan, China.
India
edit- One reason for choosing broad gauge in India for for greater stability in high winds.
Ireland
editJapan
editNew Zealand
editNorway
editUnited Kingdom
edit- Tay Bridge disaster
- Chelford rail accident 1894 - during shunting
- East Coast Main Line#Accidents
- Snowdon Mountain Railway#Gripper rail It is said in high winds, a train can proceed over the exposed sections of the line with the carriage ...
United States
edit- One reason for choosing broad gauge in BART was for greater stability in high winds and perhaps earthquakes. [2] [3] [4]
Factors
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ http://www.springerlink.com/content/w5531100m065g489/
- ^ http://www.wirewd.com/wh/blog/bart_sucks/
- ^ http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/01/06/crossing-the-bay-again-but-not-necessarily-with-bart/
- ^ http://homepage.mac.com/s_sloan/twar/ISSUE66/BODY.HTM
- ^ http://wiki.climatechangeadaptation.org.au/tiki-index.php?page=Rail+vehicle+overturning
- ^ http://www.yunlong.com.au/pdf/Liu-CFD.pdf