It was the first fatal derailment in the history of the high-speed train since its entry into service in 1981. The Paris prosecutor's office requested the dismissal of the SNCF, two subsidiaries and three of their employees for the derailment. a test TGV on November 14, 2015 which left eleven dead and 42 wounded in Eckwersheim (Bas-Rhin), according to a source familiar with the matter.
The prosecution requests that SNCF, its subsidiaries Systra (sponsor of the tests) and SNCF Réseau (track manager) as well as three employees be judged for "injuries and unintentional homicides by clumsiness, recklessness, negligence or breach of a safety obligation" according to the final indictment signed on August 2, consulted by AFP.
The final decision on whether to hold a trial for these natural and legal persons now rests with the investigating judges of the “collective accidents” section of the Paris judicial court.
Excessive speed, "late braking", ...
On November 14, 2015, 53 people, employees from the rail industry and members of their families including four children, took their seats on the train for the final test of the section of the new high-speed line (LGV).
But shortly after 3 p.m., at Eckwersheim, 20 km from Strasbourg, the train had approached a curve at 265 km / h, very much above the 176 km / h planned.
It had derailed 200 meters further, before hitting a bridge and falling into the Marne-Rhine canal.
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Eleven people, all adults, had died and 42 had been injured, some seriously, in this first fatal derailment in the history of the high-speed train since its entry into service in 1981. According to various expertises, excessive speed and a “Late braking” is the cause of this accident, which occurred the day after the attacks of November 13, 2015 in Paris.
During the investigation, which lasted a little over five years, SNCF, Systra and SNCF Réseau as well as three of their employees - a main driver, a manager and a pilot - were indicted for "injuries and manslaughter by clumsiness, recklessness, negligence or breach of a security obligation ”.