On Christmas Eve, a tragic incident occurred in France where a high-speed train driver took his own life while the train was in motion. Thanks to the automatic emergency system, a large-scale disaster was averted.
According to Yonhap News on the 26th, the accident took place around 8 PM on the 24th in Seine-et-Marne, near Paris. A high-speed train traveling from Lyon Station to Saint-Étienne came to a halt on the tracks after the driver jumped to his death, leaving the train in motion.
When the driver failed to operate the control device, the train activated its automatic emergency system and stopped on its own. There were 400 passengers on board. Despite the braking system being engaged, the high-speed train, traveling at 300 km/h, continued for 2.5 km without the driver.
The driver was found dead about 2 km from where the train stopped. It was reported that the driver had been suffering from depression due to personal issues.
After handling the incident, SNCF (French National Railway Company) released a statement saying, “The driver took his own life while the train was running,” and expressed, “The entire staff mourns, and we are deeply shocked by this horrific tragedy on Christmas.”
They further explained, “The train stopped via the automatic braking system,” ensuring “the safety of the train passengers was never threatened.” The French automatic braking system, known as ‘vacma,’ verifies whether the driver is properly on duty and engages the brakes to stop the train in case of an emergency.