Brand new Stadler tram derails in Milano

[David McLoughlin]

Overnight, a three-week old Stadler Tramlink tram derailed in Milano, colliding with a traffic light and then a building. Two people were killed and many injured.

I mention this because I was in Milano fairly recently and was amazed at how many trams from the 1920s are still proudly in use on many main lines; and that this was a derailment of a very new model of tram, which prompted me to think of the various C1 Citadis trams derailments in Melbourne, possibly aided by their lightweight design. 

I wonder if the Tramlink design might have something to do with the Milano mishap. One of our experts will know.

The derailed tram was a three-section tram;  these new trams are double-ended not the usual Milano single-ended model,  and come in three- and five-section versions.

They are not replacing any of the ancient 1500-Class trams from 1927-30  (which were based on the Peter Witt design but not called that in Milano); they are replacing much newer trams such as the "Jumbo" models of the 1970s.

This link is to a BBC news item on the Milano tram derailment:  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y599degnqo

This link is to a Stadler announcement of the new Milano Tramlink trams: https://www.stadlerrail.com/en/media/media-releases/modern-and-comfortable-stadler-trams-are-running-in-milan

Attached FYI is a photo I took at the Roserio terminus of routes 1 and 12, with a Jumbo tram on the 12 and one of the ancient trams  (1883) in advertising livery on the 1.

[billbolt...@gmail.com]

The tram was reported by witnesses to be travelling at 'high speed'  and had missed stopping at the stop prior to the accident site.  I strongly suspect that the root cause has nothing at all to do with it being "new" tram.

https://www.20min.ch/story/mailand-ein-toter-bei-entgleisung-von-tram-25-personen-verletzt-103514939

[David McLoughlin]

The video in Bill's link has an incredible video of the actual crash. Presumably dash-cam from the angle. People leaping out of the way. Some rush to help, while one man just stands there taking photos.

https://www.20min.ch/story/mailand-ein-toter-bei-entgleisung-von-tram-25-personen-verletzt-103514939

[TP]

These Stadler trams have swivelling bogies, so no bogie architecture relationship with incidents with Citadis. Over time, there have been a few incidents like this (one in Sarajevo recently) where a tram derails on a curve or a curve with a switch. There's either some technical or human cause with this one, because the tram failed to stop at the stop adjacent to the incident and the points didn't reset to the tram's straight-ahead route. As with all these incidents, we must await the investigation.

Tony P

[Mark Skinner]

That tram didn't just derail, it was tipping over due to centrifugal force. That means speed.

Mark Skinner.

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[Matthew Geier]

The article quotes the mayor saying it was not excessive speed, but the dash-cam footage says otherwise. For whatever reason, that tram went into a curve WAY too fast - it was in the process of tipping onto its side when the traffic lights wiped out the side and much of the roof equipment of the 3rd module. If the shop front not stopped all movement, the entire car would have been on its side.

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