“Taichung MRT Crane Collision: Tragedy Unfolds Without Emergency Stop Switch”

2023-05-11 20:30:46

Taiwan’s Taichung MRT crashed into the crane arm of the Libra, causing 1 death and 10 injuries so far. Taichung MRT resumed traffic yesterday morning after rush repairs overnight. The MRT Corporation released a critical 48-second video yesterday morning, showing the platform security trying to stop the train from running, and the moment of the collision inside the train. In addition, after the accident, it was discovered that the Taichung MRT, which cost 20.4 billion Hong Kong dollars, did not have an emergency stop switch on the platform, otherwise this tragedy could have been avoided.

At the press conference yesterday, Taichung MRT Corporation observed a minute’s silence for the victims of the tragedy of the day before yesterday, and then disclosed the CCTV footage before the incident and the moment of the crash. The clip first filmed the situation on the platform of Fengle Park Station. The security guards and passengers on the platform heard the loud noise of the boom falling. The security guards first inspected it, and then tried to notify their superiors that there was an accident on the track ahead, and then raised their hands to signal the accompanying train on the train. The crew did not want to drive, but when the doors closed and the train left the platform, the train crashed into the wreckage of the boom.

The second half of the clip shows the situation in the car before the crash. The people accompanying the car stepped into the compartment, then walked to the front of the car, and soon saw a large amount of dust and iron frames in front of them with nearby passengers. The attendant has notified the control center and took out the key on his body, ready to open the control cover of the emergency manual parking. Seeing this, a female passenger walked quickly to the rear compartment to avoid. It’s a pity that the train attendant could not stop the train 13 seconds after the train was discovered and the collision occurred. They could only lie on the floor with the Canadian male passenger who was still in front, waiting for the moment of impact.

Taichung MRT

台中捷運

Taichung MRT

Obstacle detection system does not work

As for why there is a foreign object on the rails, the train still does not stop, but crashes straight into it. Taichung MRT Transportation Director Xu Taiming explained that the front of the train has an obstacle detection system, but because the crane arm fell from the sky, it was about 150 meters in front of the train. Falling everywhere, causing the detection system to fail to respond in time.

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However, the performance of the MRT Corporation was criticized by the outside world. First of all, at the press conference, MRT Acting Chairman Lin Liangtai publicly asked the people present to “applause, clap your hands, and clap your hands for us. come on”. As soon as the remarks came out, local netizens criticized; Hong Shenhan, a legislator of the Democratic Progressive Party, denounced that the responsibility for the incident had not been clarified and the investigation had not been completed. The MRT Corporation later stated that the clapping was just to express gratitude and respect to the staff who made the breakthrough, and apologized for the misunderstanding.

As for the absence of platform emergency stop switches, Lin Liangtai said, “The emergency button in the station itself is not a piece of equipment. The (Taiwan) Zhongjie (transport) company will continue to improve. It cannot be said that it was not thought of at the time. The specifications of Zhongjie’s operation have been met. The world’s advanced automatic driving rules, there is no limit to perfection.”

The Taichung City Council Party Group of the Democratic Progressive Party refused to accept the MRT company’s explanation, directly denouncing that it spent NT$80 billion (approximately HK$20.4 billion) without a monitoring and early warning system at all, and the entourage arranged for automatic driving could not park. Passenger safety cannot be guaranteed at all.

Originally published on AM730

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