This is a train, not a truck. The systems are not the same, and for good reason.
It was not a systemic failure it was either operator error or sabotage.
You left out incompetence.
Of course they’re different but the principle is the same. Air pressure is required to keep the brakes from applying. If the brake cylinders are not pressurized the brakes are full-on.
It was not a failure in the brake system. When pneumatic brakes fail the vehicle won’t budge. It was operator error, aka ‘incompetance’ in your post, or sabotage.