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--- transportation:train [2026/08/11 02:11] – [United States] timb
+++ transportation:train [2026/09/15 22:35] (current) – [Poland] timb
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 https://shakeddown.substack.com/p/a-short-post-on-short-trains
+== How Railroad Crossings Work ==
+January 16, 2024 - Practical Engineering
+[Note that this article is a transcript of the video embedded above.]
+If you’ve ever ridden a bike, driven a car, or operated pretty much any other vehicle on earth, there’s a fact you’ve probably taken for granted: you can see farther than it takes to stop. Within the span between seeing a stationary hazard and colliding with it, you have enough time to recognize it, apply the brakes, and come to a stop to avoid a collision. Your sight distance is greater than your stopping distance; it sounds almost silly, but this is a critical requirement for nearly all human-operated machines. But it’s not true for trains.
+Engineers can see just as far as the rest of us, but the stopping distance of a fully laden freight train can be upwards of a mile. That means if an engineer can see something on the tracks ahead, it’s often already too late. So, trains need a lot of safety infrastructure to make up for that deficiency. For one: trains almost always have the right-of-way when they cross a road or highway at the same level, or at grade. The cars have to wait; And, we use a litany of warning devices at grade crossings to enforce that right-of-way and try to prevent collisions. In most cases, these devices have to detect the impending arrival of a train and give motorists enough time to clear the tracks or come to a stop. It sounds simple, but the engineering that makes that possible is, I think, really interesting, and of course, I built some demonstrations to help explain. This video is part of my series on railroads, so check out the rest after this if you want to learn more! I’m Grady, and this is Practical Engineering. Today, we’re exploring how grade crossings work.
+https://practical.engineering/blog/2023/12/29/how-railroad-crossings-work
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+===== Netherlands =====
+== Suspected sabotage causes major Netherlands rail disruption ==
+Amy Walker - 15 September 2026
+Some level crossings were closed as a result of Tuesday's disruption
+Parts of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, were hit by major rail disruption after suspected sabotage to the tracks on Tuesday morning, the country's railway infrastructure operator said.
+ProRail said pipes and cables were laid on tracks at multiple locations in the country's centre and north in more than 35 incidents.
+It added the acts appeared to be intentional, causing widespread cancellations and delays, with new disruptions occurring in some places after objects had initially been removed.
+No suspects or motives have yet been identified. Police said a criminal investigation had been launched.
+The operator said the pipes and cables caused its computer systems to believe trains were on the tracks, meaning traffic control was unable to clear the railway.
+"Placing materials on the tracks is extremely dangerous and unacceptable, and fortunately, it did not lead to any accidents today," it said.
+Speaking earlier, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten described the incidents as "disruptive and life-threatening".
+In one case early on Monday, a train "struck metal" on the track near Steenwijk, in the country's east. ProRail said there was no further damage because the train was not travelling at full speed.
+The national public prosecutor's office and the Netherlands' intelligence agency AIVD are investigating the incident alongside police.
+https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8ly49w9g1edo