As dead are buried train safety is questioned

The funeral for one of the victims of last week’s VIA train derailment was held today.

Family and friends gathered to pay their respect to Peter Snarr, 52. He was a senior engineer on the train, and had more than 30 years experience in the industry.

The investigation into the derailment in Burlington has revived calls for automated safeguards to reduce the chances of a fatal mistake. Some suggest a computerized system, known as positive train control, could have kept the train from derailing.

Experts say while automation has cut down on transportation-related deaths, no computer can guarantee passenger safety. In some cases, they say, the growing dependence on technology can cause human operators to panic when the system fails.