Institution responds to train crash in Bavaria

Philippa Oldham, Head of Transport at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said:

“It is still too early to say with any certainty exactly what happened to cause today’s tragic rail crash in Bavaria, but accident investigators will be looking at a number of factors.

“Signaling systems should normally prevent two trains on the same track travelling in different directions, and as of yet, it is not known why it didn’t.

“Accident investigators will be examining whether there were any other technical or component causes like rail breakages, train defects or damage caused by vandalism that could have contributed to the accident.

"It is crucial for us to learn from these terrible accidents as much as explain them.  As the key must be to reduce the risk of similar failures leading to disasters like this in the future.

“Rail travel is still one of the safest forms of transport. Our sympathies are with the victims and hard-working emergency services.”