Luxembourg says it to blame for French train crash

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 15 (Reuters) Human error in Luxembourg was to blame for a train crash last week on the French border that killed six people, transport minister Lucien Lux said today.

A passenger train from Luxembourg collided head-on with a goods train on October 11 just after crossing into France.

An initial investigation showed that signallers in Luxembourg had given the passenger train authorisation to use a track that was already occupied by the freight convoy, Lux said.

''We have to admit that the main responsibility probably lies with Luxembourg,'' Lux told a news conference. ''As things stand, the conclusions (of the investigation) are undeniable.'' The trains were travelling on the same stretch of track because of maintenance work on an adjoining line, but according to French authorities, the goods train had received a green light to use the track before the passenger train.

France is extremely proud of its rail network and Wednesday's crash appeared to be the worst train disaster in France since at least November 2002, when fire swept through a sleeper car on a Paris-Vienna express train, killing 12 people.

REUTERS SY VV1602