(ANSA) - Rome, July 12 - A train crash in Puglia Tuesday
that has left at least 23 dead and more than 50 injured may have
been caused by a lack of automated systems, said Stefania Gnesi,
a researcher at Italy's National Research Council (CNR).
Gnesi told ANSA that online information seemed to indicate
that the stretch of track where the crash occurred is still
regulated by an older "telephone block" system, by which the
green light on the single track is given through telephone
communication.
Gnesi said that according to Italian State Railways, 98% of
rail traffic is controlled by automatic systems of a "more or
less refined" nature, and the telephone block system is used in
the remaining percentage.
No automation possibly reason for crash
Expert says old 'telephone block' system used on that stretch