Why not just reverse the train back to Union and let people off there? If it's clear there's been a fatality on track at the next station, the train should just go backwards to the previous one and let people off there. It's really not that complicated.
I’m afraid that simplistic “why don’t they just….” proposals won’t change anything.
Someone needs to commission a working group consisting of reps from the various first response organizations and the rail agencies and regulator ( and maybe others eg the Attorney General) with a mandate that the current arrangement is unacceptable and must be changed. That mandate needs to be pretty firm because any one of the parties standing on the status quo can kill any forward motion.
The target audience for a better process involves so many people (hundreds of rail workers, thousands of first responders) and changing what people are accustomed to doing is not to be underestimated.
A few things that play into this
- the investigation of an incident has to be done to evidentiary standards in light of potential criminal and civil responses
- the position of the stopped train, and the status of numerous controls and devices on that train, may be part of that train of evidence and cannot be disturbed
- once the scene is occupied by first responders, the railway no longer has sufficient control of the scene to operate safely
- to be a bit graphic, the location(s) of human remains may make it unwise to have passengers on moving trains pass through the area
- the operability of the train itself may be in question and may need to be verified (and documented, see evidentiary comment)
- the train may itself be contaminated by human remains and not be fit to proceed
- the crew will no longer be fit for service
Rather than rushing to run trains during the incident investigation, my simplistic solution is to make the Incident Commander more accountable for the care and safety of those passengers. ML may not be able to rustle up a supply of shuttle buses to offload a disabled train, but I bet the Fire Department can get something done.
I would pass a regulation that every situation where a train containing passengers is stalled in an isolated location for longer than a defined period must be deemed a rescue emergency and requires dispatch of some level of first response with an accountable Incident Commander with legal authority and accountability to make decisions and take action. (Frankly, I feel the same approach is needed with respect to loaded airplanes that are parked on the tarmac for hours without regard for the human needs of passengers).
There is not, nor has there ever been, a design specification for railway rights of way mandating accessibility to every inch of line, either to bring first responders to a scene or to evacuate passengers from a scene. Standards for say evacuation of the TTC subway are far higher. It’s high time that this is addressed for GO service, at least in the urban environment of the GTA. There may be limits to what is possible, but we definitely need to do better.
- Paul
PS - maybe GO railcars need a maximum legal loading regulation. We don’t pack airplanes to standing room levels….
