What's up with Europea Trains

[Bob Bufkin]

An I always thought the Swiss ran one of the safest and best system in the world.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/trains-collide-switzerland_n_3671750.html

[davefoxx]

Trains are designed, built, and operated by humans.  Regrettably, accidents cannot be entirely eliminated, whether by human error or mechanical failure.

DFF

[Philip H]

And in addition to Dave's very try comment, don't forgt that  passenger trains are a much bigger part of European transport systems then here. So while many individual countries are smaller then the US, significantly higher ridership means a greater probability of accidents.

Or something like that.

[Dave V]

A European watching the American freight rail scene could ask the same question. CSX and Baltimore seem by themselves to be a marriage made in hell.

The difference is European trains mostly carry people who can die in accidents whereas here in North America, our trains carry freight which doesn't die (but can still kill people in large numbers as our Canadian neighbors were recently and tragically reminded).

[trainforfun]

An I always thought the Swiss ran one of the safest and best system in the world.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/trains-collide-switzerland_n_3671750.html

It is still one of the safest way to travel , when was the last time we heard of an accident in the Swiss train system ? The frequency of trains on any line in Switzerland is incredible , mostly passenger train and short .