MEXICO CITY — The Mexico City raised train line that collapsed today, killing 25 individuals, was problem-plagued and badly developed from the day of its inauguration in 2012.
Passengers and authorities alike pertained to fear that the shrieking and bouncing of wheels on the line’s tight curves were rapidly deteriorating the tracks, raising worries of a derailment.
But couple of anticipated the important things would merely collapse.
However, an authorities 2017 study of damage triggered by a fatal 7.1 magnitude quake revealed indicators of building flaws that ought to have shut the line down instantly, according to a skilled structural engineer.
José Antonio López Meza stated the flaws identified in the train system report — a drooping area of too-weak steel near the current mishap — is the example that might have added to Monday’s collapse.
Instead, authorities selected fast spots, welding props under the bowed beams and resuming service.
“Nothing is taken care of until a tragedy occurs”
“Here in Mexico, nothing is taken care of until a tragedy occurs,” stated López Meza, who likewise is a seismic specialist who has actually dealt with federal government jobs. He stated they are typically not held to the very same on-site evaluation requirements as personal contractors.
But authorities weren’t focusing on structural flaws. They had their hands complete over the last years merely attempting to keep the subway train on its tracks, to prevent what might probably have actually been have a much more horrible failure than Monday’s collapse including 2 train automobiles.
The $1.3 billion Number 12 Line, the most recent area of a large train system opened in 1969, was unfortunate from the start. The so-called Gold Line expense half once again as much as predicted, suffered duplicated building hold-ups and was struck with claims of style defects, corruption and disputes of interest.
A magnate of among the business that constructed it was the bro of the guy who supervised the job for the federal government.
The scandal over required closure of the expensive brand-new line in 2014 — simply 17 months after it was inaugurated — basically required previous Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard into political exile up until he was saved by his client, brand-new President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — who had actually assisted make him mayor in 2006 and resuscitated him by calling him foreign relations secretary in 2018.
Despite the train scandal, Ebrard was put in charge of Mexico’s efforts to get coronavirus vaccines and was thought about a leading competitor to prosper López Obrador in 2024. That was prior to Monday’s mishap. Ebrard has actually stated he’ll comply with the examinations.
Reports by engineering companies exposed Ebrard’s local government had actually made a series of startlingly incorrect options when the train line was developed and constructed in between 2008 and 2012.
Experts stated uncommonly sharp curves in the path worsened issues with the wheels-on-steel track style, which more looks like New York’s train instead of the European-design rubber tires utilized on the remainder of the system.
The Gold Line line chattered. It bumped. It shook. It shrieked. The rails started to handle a wavy pattern. Drivers needed to slow trains to as low as 3 miles per hour (5 kph) on some stretches.
In 2014, the Gold Line needed to be closed down for months for the tracks to be changed or ground into shape.
Following examinations into the style and corruption scandals, more than 38 civil servant were struck with fines or other penalties for poorly contracting out deal with the train, in addition to some criminal charges.
According to a 2014 congressional report: “If the rails are unprotected and the shape of the wheels doesn’t comply with international standards, we have a potential risk of derailment.” The probe concluded the line needs to have usage rubber-wheel suspension, instead of railroad-style steel wheels, however already it was far too late to alter.
But most reports had actually cleared the raised track bed of any structural issues up until the 2017 quake exposed what the train line was made from.
