Yikes. That's sad news, indeed. I look forward to hearing how it happened... so that it doesn't happen again. Granted, it shouldn't have happened in the first place and now people have lost their lives.

This world caint even run normal railway systems safely how will they fare with bullet and speedy maglev trains. It is stupid to add faaster Railway systems until they have a system or find a way to operate and maintain a decent railway system. Ever since railway systems were built people have been dying at crossings and in collisions. And to make things worse look at aviation accidents. It isnt enough that they caint manufacture a totally safe commuter or transatlantic aircraft they want to build and sell an aircraft with more people on board with the same safwelwess features.

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0609/634125.html

sadly the death toll has risen to 9 as of last night, early reports seem to indicate the problem was a mechanical one rather then human error. however they aren't outright saying anything yet.

all trains will run in manual today.

This is tragic. We have the Metro system in L.A., with a new gold line expansion to East Los Angeles. I hope the rail system has an automated control system that can detect human error and also this type of thing and prevent it from occurring.

so where is the safest place on a train/subway? the middle?

RE: @NickerBocker - I guess that's why people read the article. Heh. ^_^' My bad.

It is metro's fault they should have been paying attention to their cars... But if it wasn't this it would have been a derailed car on one of those sharp turns like on the green line to fort totten it is crazy...

Hopefully Metro will be able to improve on this. Afterall, they are about to drastically expand the rail system. During the Inauguration a lot of people from New York, LA, and other parts of the country kept saying how much they liked the metro system compared to their own so hopefully this doesnt impede on that view.

I think this might have been the old trains though, because whenever I'm on the Red line I am on an older model.

We're in the most technically advanced age and we can't network the trains together so that their on-board computers have a little conversation that goes something like this:

"Hey, I'm going this way on this track."

"That's funny, I'm on the same track, but I'm going in the opposite direction!"

*break!*

Terrible news.

such a tragic accident...my mom takes the red line from metro center towards shady grove. hopefully they can get to the bottom of this and prevent any future accidents.

4 confirmed deaths now, My condolences to the families.
I am so glad that I left later than usual from work today. I was about to leave at my reg. time at 4 oclock, but my boss asked if I could stay a little longer. If I have left at my reg. time, I might have been on one of those trains that crashed. I don't really want to think about it. I am so happy at my boss now though and I am very thankful.

2 confirmed fatalities now. awful news. was calling everyone to make sure they weren't on that train.

@asimkovsky on twitter says "Two trains collide in Washington DC"

@raylehmann on twitter says "Huge red line accident"