Re: European train deaths

[Philip Anderson <phil.anderson@amsjv.com>]

Colin Paul Gloster wrote:
> 
> Something which occured to me only yesterday (unless I cleanly
> forgot before) is that Ada and formal methods are used for
> European train systems and so these may be involved in some
> of the spate of fatal crashes over the last circa two years
> in the U.K.; Norway; and elsewhere in the E.U.. At least one
> in the U.K. had to do with a light signalling error if
> memory serves correctly but I do not recall if this had
> anything to do with software. It may be worthwhile to investigate this --
> would any of ye happen to remember if computers were involved in these
> locomotive incidents?

From memory, the causes of the UK accidents have been identified as
faulty track, badly-maintained signals or drivers going through red
lights.  I don't think software has been brought into any of these
cases.

The Norwegian train crash has been discussed on the comp.risk newgroup
(which is a good place to look for problems attributable to software). 
some suggestions involved software, but that wasn't the official
finding.


-- 
hwyl/cheers,
Philip Anderson
Alenia Marconi Systems
Cwmbr�n, Cymru/Wales