Another train wreck

[SteamWake]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The operator of a light-rail train that crashed and injured dozens of passengers in San Francisco (http://topics.breitbart.com/San+Francisco/) came under scrutiny Sunday as federal investigators tried to figure out why he inexplicably turned off the automatic controls moments before the collision.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99HSAKO0&show_article=1

Once again the 'auto safety' functions appear to be at the root of the problem.

[bookworm_020]

Sounds like mobile phones are involved. They don't allow the driver here in Sydney, Australia to have them on in the cab. This happend after there was a spate of trains going through red signals.

I'm surprised that they are running trains so close together. There is a two signal separation here for most of the network, and when it's one, speeds come way down and are enforced.

[SteamWake]

The article states that the driver ... for whatever reason... disabled the 'autopilot' then evidently either passed out or just dident pay attention and wacked into a train standing at the station.

It would not supprise me at all if a cell phone / text message was involved.