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Tuesday, 16 June 2015 - 08:25
Over 110 trains blew through red signals last year; lowest since 80's
A total of 112 trains ignored stop signals last year - the lowest number since the 80's. The number of kilometers traveled by trains increased almost by half in the same period.
This is according to an investigation by the Environment and Transport Inspectorate, which State Secretary Wilma Mansveld of Infrastructure and Environment sent to the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, on Monday.
According to Mansveld, the decrease in the number of trains driving through a red signal can be attributed to the better training and instruction of drivers and an expansion of the security system Automatic Train Control Enhanced version.
The risk associated with trains running a red signal also declined in 2013 - trains running through a red signal less frequently reached the point where an accident can happen. That is partly due to the greater number of signals being equipped with the Automatic Train Control system. The enhanced version of the system can automatically stop trains when they are traveling at slower than 40 kilometers per hour and threaten to pass a red signal. Almost half of the signals in the Netherlands are now equipped with this system.