Deelfontein rail crash
Encyclopedia
The Deelfontein rail crash was a head-on collision when the Shosholoza Meyl
Trans Karoo express hit the stationary Blue Train
at a crossing loop at Deelfontein
in South Africa
in October 2005.
Although there were some serious injuries, there was no loss of life. The cause of the accident was found to be a wrong side failure in the signalling, caused by solder
splatter in one of the interlocking relays.
circuits are proposed, also called secondary protection circuits.
Shosholoza Meyl
Shosholoza Meyl is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa that operates long-distance passenger rail services. It operates various train routes across South Africa, carrying approximately 4 million passengers annually...
Trans Karoo express hit the stationary Blue Train
Blue Train (South Africa)
The Blue Train travels an approximately journey in South Africa between Pretoria and Cape Town. It is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world...
at a crossing loop at Deelfontein
Deelfontein
Deelfontein is a village in the Great Karoo, Northern Cape, region of South Africa on the route of the Pretoria to Cape Town railway. It primarily developed to service the railway due to its good water supply for steam locomotives, and is currently the location of a passing loop on the single-track...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in October 2005.
Although there were some serious injuries, there was no loss of life. The cause of the accident was found to be a wrong side failure in the signalling, caused by solder
Solder
Solder is a fusible metal alloy used to join together metal workpieces and having a melting point below that of the workpiece.Soft solder is what is most often thought of when solder or soldering are mentioned and it typically has a melting range of . It is commonly used in electronics and...
splatter in one of the interlocking relays.
Aftermath
The signalling circuit improperly bridged by the solder splatter appears to have been single-switched. To prevent a recurrence, double switchedDouble switching
frame|right|A single-switched relay can close inadvertently in response to a single false feed current.frame|right|A double-switched relay cannot close inadvertently with the application of the same current...
circuits are proposed, also called secondary protection circuits.