Push - Pull Safety

[Scott R.]

This push pull thing bugs the hell out of me. I would not want to ride on a train being pushed especially at the speed Amtrak runs the trains. It just seems logical to me that a train being pushed that encounters a vehicle on the track is going to fold like an accordion with the engine in the rear pushing. Now with the engine in front pulling it seems to me would be much safer for passengers since the engine can usually throw about anything out of its way and continue to a safe stop.. Just makes no sense to me this push method when it comes to safety. Just sayin.

 

[Aaron]

This push pull thing bugs the hell out of me. I would not want to ride on a train being pushed especially at the speed Amtrak runs the trains. It just seems logical to me that a train being pushed that encounters a vehicle on the track is going to fold like an accordion with the engine in the rear pushing. Now with the engine in front pulling it seems to me would be much safer for passengers since the engine can usually throw about anything out of its way and continue to a safe stop.. Just makes no sense to me this push method when it comes to safety. Just sayin.

Your concern would be valid if train cars had no mass and inertia did not exist and the engineer rode in the back in the locomotive with no view of the track ahead. Absent that set of conditions, a collision in a pushed train is going to be pretty much the same as a pulled one.

 

[Eric S]

Probably also worth noting that commuter/regional rail systems utilize push-pull operation far more often than Amtrak. Although they may typically operate at slower speeds, you're still looking at 60-80mph (ish) trains.

The additional costs of *not* using push-pull would probably make rail and less economically feasible option in many of these cases, leading to more driving and making the overall transportation network less safe. Rather than looking at rail operators to switch away from push-pull, it would make more sense using that effort (and funding) to making grade crossings safer (ideally eliminating them, but four-quadrant gates would be a step in the right direction).