Yesterday was a bad day for the SUPERTRAIN around the world. In Los Angeles a Metrolink commuter train collided with a Union Pacific freight train: At Least 18 Killed as Trains Collide in Los Angeles. the same day a Freight Train Fire in Channel Tunnel shut down the Franco-English tunnel; there were no casualties, but it is unclear what structural damage occurred inside the tunnel.

Both accidents illustrate how our current rail infrastructure is running at capacity. Freight and passenger service must be segregated on their own right-of-ways and capacity, especially in high-traffic areas such as Los Angeles, must be increased.

Update 9/14

Apparently the Metrolink engineer missed a red signal which caused the passenger train to collide with the freight train. Sad.