Famous Deadliest Train Disasters in History

Since the dawn of mass transit in the 1850s, people have seen the railways as a relatively quick, cheap and easy way to move hundreds of miles with convenience in mind. Millions of people all over the world use the form of transport and some are enthusiastic about the trains themselves and their heritage. Like any other form of transport, it is not without its disasters. Here is a list of ten of the world’s most notable rail disasters

1. Great Train Wreck of 1918

The worst train crash in the USA took place when two trains run by the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway collided. One of the trains was running thirty minutes late which led to the collision on a single trackway at a section called ‘Dutchman’s Curve’. 101 people died and a further 171 suffered injuries. Blame was laid squarely on the number 4 train (the one that was running to schedule) though the planners came in for criticism too. In the same year, a crash in Brooklyn claimed almost as many lives

2. Quintinshill Rail Crash 1915

In the UK they normally talk about Potter’s Bar or Clapham Junction when discussing the worst British over ground crash and those certainly would qualify for the worst disasters of the modern era, but they are not a patch on this WWI crash. A train carrying troops hit first a passenger train and then two coal trains in succession. It was a simple signalling error that led to the deaths of 226 people and the injury of 246 more. It remains by far the worst rail disaster anywhere in the United Kingdom

3. Moorgate Underground 1975

The Underground is one of the prides of London and because the underground carries so many passengers every single day, safety is paramount for the miles and miles of tunnel and track sitting beneath the historic streets. Moorgate remains the worst British underground crash in history when a train failed to stop at the Moorgate station (a terminus) and ploughed into a wall at the end of the track. 43 people were killed and 75 injured. No faults were found with the machinery and no official cause was ever found ‘ the driver died on impact

4. Eschede 1998

High-speed railway is the future for some countries and a luxury for others. Despite the extra safety issues associated with rail networks, accidents do and will happen. The deadliest high-speed rail disaster happened in Germany when a fatigue crack in just one wheel caused the train to derail and collide with a road bridge. The safety design would normally permit such a derailment to occur without deaths and minimal injury but this extra element made it the world’s worst high-speed rail disaster

5. Queen of the Sea Line 2004

None of the train accidents here can match the sheer number of deaths, but the accident itself was not as a result of driver error, any fault with the train or for that matter any human error normally associated with the line, the train or the carrier. It was the worst Tsunami disaster in human history that occurred on Boxing Day (26th December) that year. As many as 280,000 people died in the disaster and on this train alone, some 1700 lost their lives

6. Ufa Train disaster 1989

Russia’s worst train disaster came in the final days of the Soviet era. Summer 1989, a gas leak from underground pipes was ignited by two trains passing on the track. The gas leak was so massive that it caused an explosion which ripped through both of the trains, killing in the region of 570 people and injuring a similar number. Mostly children were on board as one was heading to a popular resort and the other was returning from the same resort

7. Ryongchon Disaster 2004

This particular accident is notable, not just because it is the worst accident in North Korea (or at least, the worst anybody in the outside world knows about) but it is noteworthy because of how unusually open the secretive Communist state was about the incident. The International Red Cross were allowed inside the borders to help survivors. The government also followed up with a frank admission about what had happened ‘ a chemical explosion at a station led to 150 deaths and over 600 injuries.

8. Guadalajara Train Disaster 1915

Around 600 people died in this tragedy, the worst anywhere in the Americas. It was during the Mexican Revolution and Carranza and Villa had just captured the town of Guadalajara. After the victory, Carranza ordered the families of the troops in to occupy the town and they were all 900 of them placed onto a train. The carriages were overloaded (with some clinging to the sides and roof) and that might have led to the driver losing control on a steep gradient. The result was that the train flew down the track, shedding people as it went and crashed into a canyon.

9. Bihar Train Disaster 1981

India’s worst train disaster happened when an engine pulling a large number of carriages flew off a track when crossing a bridge. The incident took place between Mansi and Saharsa and the resulting accident saw the train fall into the River Bagmati. It took five days to recover 200 of the bodies. Many more were never found but it is believed that the death toll stood at 500-800. The cause of the accident was never discovered but multiple theories exist from animals on the track to failure of the brake system

10. Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne Derailment 1917

Many of the worst rail disasters appear to be WWI wartime incidents ‘ perhaps the unusual level of stress and strain put on networks and on people to get soldiers and equipment moving leads to mistakes. Some 1000 French soldiers were on their way back from the Italian front when the train derailed, crashed and caught fire. Authorities later admitted that the single engine could not cope with the 19 carriages it was pulling

Conclusion

Despite the accidents above, trains are still a relatively safe method to travel over a long distance. In most of the cases above, poor management, poor planning and technical fault were behind the tragedies. Safety is a primary concern as technology moves toward high speed links and the sort of accidents as seen above are rare.