USA:
SEPTA's new train woes

photo: philly.com

30th Street Disaster, 1990 SEPTA's worst accident occurred on the Market - Frankford line. In 1990 a train derailed the subway tunnel near 30th Street Station. Four passengers were killed and many more wereinjured. The derailment was caused when a bolt holding a traction motor failed. The motor, still partially attached to the bogie fell onto the track formation causing the bogie to derail. SEPTA

According to an unnamed source at SEPTA the problem "had the potential to cause a derailment".

According to SEPTA's chief operations officer, Patrick Nowakowski, the cracks may be due to faulty faulty welds. The trains are the newest on the SEPTA system. They were supplied by Adtranz between 1997 and 1999 and consist of 220 cars. The bogie assemblies were provided a sub-contractor.

These new trains have plagued with another problem which is either a manufacturing or a design fault. The automatic doors have, at times refused to open or close. New doors, to a different design are to be fitted to all 220 cars in a program that will cost $6.2 million and take 9 -12 months to complete.

Split wheel cause of R5 Line derailment
In an incident earlier in the week, a train was derailed after a wheel split in two. The train was empty at the time and neither the driver nor the conductor was injured. This incident occurred on the R5 line as the train approached Thorndale Station. This train was manufctured by Bombardier.

A broken wheel was the cause of the Eschede disaster in Germany in 1998.

Web sources:

8 defective cars pulled
Philly.com 16/02/2000

Regional-rail train wheel splits
Philly.com 16/02/2000

Stand clear of the doors
Philly.com 16/02/2000