Information on train accident just in time. Is it possible?

[pedrop]

After some accidents in railroads in Brazil with serious injury to the crew, I am wondering if there is any kind of electronic device that send message to CTc or other train control system to inform the locomotive suffered an accident. I work in the aviation industry where we have special devices that send message to satelites to inform about accident, but I do not know if the rail industry have equipment like these.

Pedro

 

[BNSFEng]

Good question. There are communications via satellite that track trains and sends info back to the HQ that can be analyzed by mechanical and operation personnel but any info that they had a derailment would have to come from the crew or witnesses. Each engine does have a "black box" (it's really orange) that keeps track of many operational items such as speed, bell, horn, brake pressure, headlight, throttle or dynamic brake handle position, traction motor amperage, low cooling water or lube oil levels, etc. but nothing that tells you the train is off the track. I don't know if an alarm goes off in HQ if all telemetry is lost on a train. All our trains have outside facing cameras which records sounds and some inside facing but I don't know if they can watch any of them in real time.