List of rail accidents (1970–1979)
Part of a series on |
Rail transport |
---|
![]() |
|
Infrastructure |
|
Passenger Rail |
|
|
|
![]() |
This is a list of rail accidents from 1970 to 1979.
1970[]
- February 1, 1970 – Argentina – Benavídez rail disaster: A Tucumán–Buenos Aires express train collides with a standing local train south of Benavídez railroad station 29 km (18 miles) north of Buenos Aires. 142 people are killed, 368 injured (though some sources state 236 killed).
- February 16, 1970 – Nigeria – A train crowded with Eid al-Kabir pilgrims derails at Langalanga about 27 km southeast of Gusau and several cars fall down an embankment. About 150 are killed; reportedly, 52 of the injured are killed in a truck crash on the way to hospital.[1]
- March 22, 1970 – United States – Branford, Connecticut: A Penn Central freight train derails on the Shore Line Division (now the Northeast Corridor) in Branford center. 25 of the 86 cars on the train derailed, demolishing Branford Station (a passenger shed at the time), and tore up a half mile (800 m) of track. The cause of the accident was the breakage of an overheated axle on a car loaded with 83 tons (75 t) of steel, which the weight of dragged the following 24 cars off with it.[citation needed]
- May 20, 1970 – United Kingdom – Audenshaw Junction rail accident: A Class 506 electric multiple unit derails at Audenshaw Junction, Cheshire due to a set of points moving under it. Two people are killed and thirteen are injured. The cause of the accident was irregular practices by a signalman.[2]
- June 6, 1970 – United Kingdom – A freight train is derailed at Hildenborough, Kent. The South East Main Line is blocked for three days.[3]
- June 21, 1970 - United States - A Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway train derails in downtown Crescent City, Illinois. A propane tank car ruptured and explosions caused fires that destroyed the city center, which included numerous houses and businesses. No lives were lost, although over 60 firefighters and civilians were injured.[4]
- July 15, 1970 – United Kingdom – A 4BEP electric multiple unit collides with a lorry on a level crossing at Chartham, Kent. Two people are killed.[3]
- August 9, 1970 – Spain – A train from coastal resorts to Bilbao collides with a freight train at Plentzia; 33 people are killed, about 200 injured, and two stationmasters arrested.[1]
- October 31, 1970 – India – A Mangalore Mail crashes into a stationary Cochin Mail at 8:10 p.m. (IST) at the Perambur station, Chennai, killing 16 and injuring 108.[5]
- December 6, 1970 – United States – 1970 Lehigh Valley Railroad derailment: Twenty-five cars of a 114-car Lehigh Valley Railroad freight train derail in Le Roy, New York. There are no injuries or fatalities, but a toxic chemical spill results in the scene becoming a United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site in 1999. Over 40 years later, this chemical spill was briefly thought to have caused an illness outbreak in the town.
- December 31, 1970 – Iran – Two trains collide at Ardakan due to a signalman's error; a government source indicates 15 people killed, but journalists reported at least 70, with 130 injured.[6]
1971[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/1971_Salem%2C_Illinois_derailment_aerial.jpeg/220px-1971_Salem%2C_Illinois_derailment_aerial.jpeg)
Salem, Illinois
- January 18, 1971 – Switzerland – Two commuter trains collide between Feldmeilen and Herrliberg. Six people are killed and seventeen are injured.[7]
- February 9, 1971 – West Germany – Aitrang: The TEE 56 Bavaria, a DMU, traveling from Munich to Zürich, derails while passing a curve shortly after Aitrang station. The maximum speed in the curve is 80 km/h, however the train passes the curve at 130 km/h because of frozen water in the air brake. Shortly after the TEE has derailed, a railbus hits the wreckage, coming from the opposite direction. 28 people die, 42 are injured.[8]
- February 14, 1971 – Yugoslavia – In a tunnel near Vranduk (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), the driver stops a passenger train when its diesel-electric locomotive catches fire; but the fire spreads to the passenger cars and many people are unable to escape from the smoke. At least 34 are killed.[6]
- February 26, 1971 – United Kingdom – A passenger train formed of five 2HAP electric multiple units overruns the buffers at Sheerness-on-Sea, Kent and demolishes the station building. One person is killed and ten are injured.[9]
- March 11, 1971 – Chile – Gualliguaica rail accident: A five-car passenger train runs away on a downslope from Vicuña to Cresta de Gualliguaica and derails, plunging into a ravine; 12 killed.
- May 4, 1971 – United Kingdom – On the Northern Line of the London Underground, a train entered the reversing siding at Tooting Broadway after offloading passengers, and crashed into the end of the tunnel at 20–30 mph (32–48 km/h). The driver, who was killed, was apparently reading a book.[10]
- May 27, 1971 – West Germany – Dahlerau train disaster: At Radevormwald, a railbus and a freight train collide on the Wuppertal–Radevormwald single-track line near Dahlerau station. The railbus was a special service carrying schoolchildren from a Radevormwald school. The local dispatcher claims to have signalled a red light to the freight train, whilst the freight train engineer claims to have seen a green one. Ultimately, the case cannot be resolved as the dispatcher is killed in a car accident before the legal hearings start. 41 people die, 25 are injured. Worst rail accident in West Germany during Deutsche Bundesbahn times. The accident leads to the phasing out of the Nachtbefehlsstab ("Nighttime Command Staff"), and presses the DB to introduce radio communications on branch lines.[8]
- June 10, 1971 – United States – 1971 Salem, Illinois derailment: Amtrak train number 1, the northbound City of New Orleans derails at 90 miles per hour (145 km/h) near Salem, Illinois, due to a false flange on a flat wheel caused by a seized axle bearing. Eleven people die and over 150 injured in Amtrak's first major incident.[11]
- July 2, 1971 – United Kingdom – As a 10-car special school excursion train from Rhyl to Smethwick is passing Tattenhall Junction, the track shifts under the train due to thermal stress and the last three cars are derailed, killing two children and injuring 26 people.[12][13]
- July 4, 1971 – United Kingdom – A freight train derails at Surbiton, Surrey. A passenger train is in collision with the derailed wagons.[14]
- July 21, 1971 – West Germany – Rheinweiler: D 370 from Basel to Copenhagen passes a 75 km/h curve at about 140 km/h and derails, destroying a detached house; 23 people die, 121 are injured. The suspected reason for the accident was a technical failure in the Class 103 engine's automatic cruise control mechanism, leading to the engine gaining too much speed. The cruise control was consequently disabled after the accident and restricted speed zones were equipped with PZB.[8][15]
- July 26, 1971 – United Kingdom – An electric multiple unit departs from Macclesfield, Cheshire against a red signal and is derailed by trap points.[16]
- August 4, 1971 – Yugoslavia – At Lipe, near Belgrade (now in Serbia), a goods train fails to stop to let a passenger train go by, and collides with it on a single-track section; 35 are killed.[17]
- August 28, 1971 – Switzerland – A train derails in the Simplon Tunnel. Five people are killed.[7]
- October 6, 1971 – United Kingdom – A 24-car freight train runs away on the downgrade from Beattock Summit toward Carlisle due to stopcocks in the air-brake line being closed. It collides with the train ahead, killing one crew member on that train.[18]
- October 19, 1971 – United States – Twenty cars of 82-car Missouri Pacific Railroad train No. 94 derail in Houston, Texas; two tank cars loaded with vinyl chloride monomer are punctured, allowing the gas to escape and ignite; 45 minutes after the derailment a third tank car explodes and a fourth is "rocketed" some 300 feet (91 m) away; a fireman is killed and 50 are injured.
- October 26, 1971 – Japan – On the Kinki Nippon Railway, between Osaka and Nagoya, a head-on collision kills 23 people.[17]
1972[]
- January 9, 1972 – United Kingdom – An engineers train overruns signals and is in a rear-end collision with an electric multiple unit at Horsham, West Sussex. The train crew had failed to perform a brake check before departing from Three Bridges and thus had not discovered that the isolation cocks between the two locomotives had not been opened. Fifteen people are injured.[19]
- March 24, 1972 – United States – Gilchrest Road, New York crossing accident. A school bus is struck by a freight train at a level crossing in Rockland County, New York, near the New York City suburbs of Congers and Valley Cottage, killing five students. The bus driver was convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to probation; the accident also led the U.S. law that requires school buses to stop at all grade crossings they encounter.
- March 31, 1972 – South Africa – A derailment on the approach to a bridge at Potgietersrus (now Mokopane), possibly due to sabotage, kills 38 people and injures 174.[17]
- April 26, 1972 – India – A derailment north of Bangalore (now Bengaluru) kills 21 and injures 37.[17]
- May 7, 1972 – United Kingdom – Two Class 20 diesel locomotives overrun signals and are derailed by trap points at Barnwood Junction, Gloucester.[20]
- June 3, 1972 – Poland – near Ślesin, (near Bydgoszcz): About 12.20 p.m. a train Kolobrzeg–Warsaw derailed on fatigue rail – 12 people killed, 26 injured[21]
- June 4, 1972 – Bangladesh – A crowded passenger train from Khulna crashes into a stationary freight train at Jessore when the stationmaster throws the wrong switch; 76 people are killed and about 500 injured.[17][22]
- June 11, 1972 – United Kingdom – Eltham Well Hall rail crash: An excursion train took a bend at excessive speed and derailed, at Eltham, London. The driver and five passengers were killed, and 126 people injured. The subsequent investigation established that the driver had been drinking.
- June 17, 1972 – France – After 110 years in service, the roof of a tunnel at Vierzy collapses without warning. Passenger trains in both directions between Paris and Laon, both moving about 70 mph (110 km/h), crash into the rubble and each other. Altogether 108 are killed and 240 injured; survivors are trapped in the tunnel for up to 40 hours.[23][24]
- July 21, 1972 – Spain – A Madrid-to-Cádiz train collides near Jerez with a local train that failed to obey signals; of about 700 on board the two trains, 76 are killed and 103 injured.[25]
- August 8, 1972 – Pakistan – At Liaqatpur on the line between Lahore and Karachi, an express is misrouted onto a side track where a freight train is standing; there are 38,[25] or 60,[26] or 65[27] deaths.
- September 29, 1972 – South Africa – All but the first-class cars of a 9-car passenger train from Cape Town to Bitterfontein derail near Malmesbury due to excess speed; 48[28] or about 100[25] people are killed.
- October 5, 1972 – Mexico – At Saltillo, a 22-car train carrying people from a festival at San Luis Potosí enters a downhill curve at about 75 mph (120 km/h) or twice the speed limit; 9 cars derail, and 208 people are killed and 700 injured. The engineer is found to have been drinking; he is saved from lynching but is arrested along with five other crew members.[25][29][30]
- October 12, 1972 – United Kingdom – A freight train runs into the rear of an electric multiple unit at Wimbledon, London due to an error by the driver of the freight. Twelve people are injured.[31]
- October 30, 1972 – United States – Chicago commuter rail crash, Two Illinois Central Railroad commuter trains collide, after one train, having overshot a station stop, backs into the station. 45 people are killed and over 300 injured.[32]
- October 30, 1972 – East Germany – : The driver of Ext 346 (Leipzig–Karlovy Vary) does not notice a stop signal on a single-track stretch of line because of dense fog and collides with D 273 heading toward Berlin. 22 people die, 70 are injured.[33]
- October 31, 1972 – Turkey – A passenger train and a train carrying oil collide at Eskişehir, starting a fire and causing several cars to go down a cliff; at least 30 are killed, and about 50 injured.[34]
- November 6, 1972 – Japan – When a fire starts in the dining car of the Japanese National Railways' Kitaguni night train from Osaka to Aomori, the crew makes an emergency stop—with the train 5.3 km (3.3 mi) into the 13.87 km (8.62 mi) Hokoriku Tunnel (between Tsuruga and Imajō on the Hokuriku Main Line). Crew members attempt to uncouple the dining car at both ends and evacuate the train using the undamaged front part, but the power to that track fails. Rescue is still possible via the other track but the heavy smoke overcomes people and some are not rescued until almost 13 hours have passed. One crew member and 29 passengers are killed by carbon monoxide and 714 people are injured—almost everyone else on board.[34][35]
- November 22, 1972 – Netherlands – At the Railway accident near Halfweg (1972), the locomotive of a work train derailed in North Holland and was subsequently wrecked on site.
- December 16, 1972 – United Kingdom – two electric multiple unit passenger trains are in collision at Copyhold Junction, West Sussex because the driver of one of them misread signals. Twenty-five people are injured.[36]
1973[]
- January 30, 1973 – Hungary – Kecskemét level crossing disaster: A regular local bus disregards crossing signals and booms and is crushed by local train. 37 people killed, 18 injured.
- February 1, 1973 – Algeria – A derailment in eastern Algeria kills 35 people and injures 51.[37][better source needed]
- February 6, 1973 – United States – Littlefield, Texas: A Santa Fe freight train crashes into a schoolbus, killing 7 children and injuring 16.[38]
- March 9, 1973 – United States – White Haven, Pennsylvania: A runaway train crashes into the Lehigh Valley Railroad Engine House, damaging the southeast corner of the building[39]
- March 13, 1973 – United States – Hortense, GA: The Southbound auto-train derails after being hit by a truck that failed to stop at a railroad crossing.
- March 18, 1973 – United States – East Palestine, Ohio: Amtrak's westbound Broadway Limited derails last five cars in heavy snowstorm, killing one Penn Central employee riding on a pass, and injuring 19 of 167 passengers on board. A spokesman said recent heavy rains may have weakened the roadbed.[40]
- May 2, 1973 – United Kingdom – A freight train is derailed inside Disley Tunnel, Cheshire.[41] Six of the sixteen Presflow (bulk cement) wagons that made up the train derailed. The train ran derailed for about 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi) before breaking apart and stopping.[42]
- June 1973 – United Kingdom – A freight train runs away and derails at Ashwood Dale, Staffordshire. The line is closed for several months.[41]
- May 10, 1973 - Canada - According to The Advocate, Central Alberta's Newspaper, 11 May 1973 Edition, Canadian National Railways 'Dayliner" was southbound on the regular Edmonton-to-Drumheller line at an uncontrolled crossing, 19 km (12 miles) south and one mile (1600 m) west of Stettler when the collision happened. A 1964 automobile carrying 6 teenagers struck the lefthand side of the unit and pushed it off the track. The article states that the car was dragged about 200 feet (61 metres) after the collision. The conductor, Mr. Roy Sundbe said that the train was travelling at about 50 mph (80 km/h) and that the accident happened in bright daylight. He estimated the car was travelling at about 60 mph (97 km/h) and that the engineer did not see the car. A police spokesperson said the driver was either blinded by the sun or did not see the train. All six teenagers in the car were killed. source https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34245797/fenn-deaths/
- July 10, 1973 – East Germany – Leipzig: The driver of a commuter train fails to notice a diversion, causing the train to derail and hit the signal box of Leipzig-Leutzsch railway station. Four people are killed, 25 injured.[33]
- 27 August 1973 – Poland – near Radkowice, (near Kielce): At 2.42 a.m., a Zakopane–Warsaw passenger train slams into twenty freight cars which break away from a freight train – 16 people killed, 24 injured[43]
- October 10, 1973 – United States – Bronx, New York: 6:09 commuter train from Brewster derails on Penn Central's Harlem Division at about 7:30am at 155th Street in the Mott Haven Yard. It crashes into a signal gantry bringing it down on top of the train. There were two minor injuries and 40,000 commuters were delayed for up to four hours.[44]
- December 17, 1973 – Brazil – According to a Brazilian Rede Globo television report, an express passenger train collided head-on with a freight train on the outskirts of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, killing 18 people, another 40 are injured.[45]
- December 19, 1973 – United Kingdom – Ealing rail crash: An express passenger train derails at Ealing Broadway station because a loose battery-box door on the locomotive hauling it struck point rodding, causing a set of points to move under the locomotive. Ten people are killed and 94 are injured.[46]
- 1973 – United Kingdom – An electric multiple unit overruns a signal and rear-ends a diesel multiple unit at Shields Junction, Glasgow, Renfrewshire.[47]
1974[]
- February 12, 1974 – United States – A 122-car Delaware and Hudson freight train derails four miles (6.4 km) north of Oneonta, New York. Fifty-four people (most of them firefighters) were injured when a propane car that had been punctured when the train derailed and two other propane tanker cars exploded. Several nearby homes were also damaged in the blast.[48]
- March 26, 1974 – Switzerland – A train derails at Moutier. Three people are killed and thirteen are injured.[7]
- March 27, 1974 – Portuguese Mozambique – Magude train disaster: A passenger train collides with a freight train carrying petroleum products. 70 people were killed and 200 injured when the petroleum exploded, melting several passenger coaches.
- July 19, 1974 – United States – Decatur, Illinois – A tanker car containing isobutane collides with a Norfolk & Western boxcar causing an explosion killing seven people, injuring 349, and causing $18 million in property damage.[49]
- August 12, 1974 – United States – Wake Forest, North Carolina: The Amtrak Silver Star derailed while navigating a curve, injuring 28.[50][51]
- August 13, 1974 – Ireland – Rosslare: Two passenger trains are involved in a head-on collision at Rosslare Strand. Fifteen people are injured.[52]
- August 30, 1974 – Yugoslavia – Zagreb train disaster: An express train from Athens to Dortmund derails at Zagreb railway station due to excessive speed. 152 passengers were killed and 90 injured.
- October 31, 1974 – India – On an express train from Delhi to Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Upper India, a fire is started when a passenger's fireworks explode at Mohanganj; some passengers try to jump from the train before it stops. Altogether 52 are killed[53] or 43 are killed and about 60 injured.[37]
- September 21, 1974 – United States – Houston, Texas – At Southern Pacific's Englewood Yard hump, two "jumbo" tank cars, being classified by gravity and with excessive speed collided with an empty tank car which caused it to ride over the coupler of a loaded tank car and puncture the tank head. Butadiene spilled from the car and formed a vapor cloud, which dispersed over the area. After 2 to 3 minutes, the vapor exploded violently; as a result, 1 person died and 235 were injured.[54]
- October 21, 1974 – Ireland – Gormanston, County Meath, Ireland. A passenger train ran away driverless and collided with another passenger train at Gormanston, a third passenger train was struck by the two wrecked trains. Two people were killed and 29 were injured.[55]
1975[]
- February 22, 1975 – Norway – Tretten train disaster: A passenger train from Oslo collides head-on with an express train from Trondheim. 27 people killed.
- February 28, 1975 – United Kingdom – Moorgate tube crash: For unknown reasons, the driver fails to stop a London Underground train at Moorgate station and continues into the dead-end tunnel beyond. 43 people are killed.
- April 4, 1975 – Soviet Union – Žasliai railway disaster: passenger train hits a tank car carrying fuel, derails, and catches fire. 20 people are killed, 80 injured. It remains the worst rail disaster in Lithuania.[56]
- May 22, 1975 – Morocco – A derailment near Kenitra kills at least 34 people.[57]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Nuneaton_crash_aftermath.jpg/220px-Nuneaton_crash_aftermath.jpg)
Clearing the wreckage at Nuneaton
- June 6, 1975 – United Kingdom – Nuneaton rail crash: The driver of a London Euston-to-Glasgow train missed a temporary speed restriction at Nuneaton because the propane-burning lamps on the marker sign had run out of fuel. The train derailed; 6 people were killed and 38 injured.[58]
- June 8, 1975 – West Germany – Two passenger trains collide head-on between Lenggries and Warngau due to errors by dispatchers at both stations. A total of 41 people are killed (38 passengers, 2 drivers, 1 conductor) and 122 are injured.[59]
- June 12, 1975 – Canada – At Simcoe, Ontario, a freight train loaded with newly built cars passing through town goes off the tracks right at a bridge over a road. The locomotive goes nose-down onto the pavement and bursts into flames. Many of the 14 bi- and tri-level railcars behind it derail. Two men in the cab die, a third is seriously injured with burns, and blockage of the road means the town is effectively split in half.[citation needed]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Freight_Train_June_12%2C_1975%2C_Reginald_Cook.jpg/220px-Freight_Train_June_12%2C_1975%2C_Reginald_Cook.jpg)
Derailment in Simcoe, Ontario, June 12, 1975
- July 22, 1975 – West Germany – A regional train passed a signal at danger and crashed into a freight train head-on, which was crossing the tracks in Hamburg-Hausbruch. 11 passengers were killed, 65 seriously injured. Investigations revealed that the distance between the signal and place of danger was so short that automated braking would not have prevented the crash.[citation needed]
- September 11, 1975 – United Kingdom – A diesel-electric multiple unit is in collision with an electric multiple unit at Bricklayers Arms Junction, London. One of the trains had passed a signal a danger, but which appeared to the driver to be showing a proceed aspect due to the reflection of sunlight from his cab. Sixty-two people are injured.[60]
- September 29, 1975 – Argentina – Two passenger trains collided in Río Luján, killing 32 and injuring 100.[61][62]
- October 20, 1975 – Mexico – A Mexico City Metro train crashed into another at Metro Viaducto station. From 31 to 39 people are killed, and between 71 and 119 are injured. To date, it is considered the worst accident recorded on the system.[63][64]
- October 26, 1975 – United Kingdom – A passenger train comes to a standstill at Lunan, Angus due to the failure of the locomotive hauling it. Assistance is sent for, but an incorrect location is given. The rescue locomotive crashes into the rear of the train at 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). One person is killed and 42 are injured.[65]
- December 12, 1975 – Canada – A Toronto Transit Commission bus, whose rear doors are working erratically due to a missing wire-retaining screw, is immobilized by its own safety features when the doors open on a level crossing on St. Clair Avenue near Scarborough GO Station. Before all the passengers can be evacuated, a GO Train running express from Pickering to Toronto smashes into it. 9 passengers from the bus are killed and about 20 injured.[66][67]
- December 31, 1975 – Ireland – Near Gorey, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, a passenger train derails on a bridge that was damaged by a vehicle crashing into it. Five people are killed, 43 are injured.[68]
1976[]
- January 2, 1976 – United Kingdom – A light engine runs into the rear of a parcels train at Worcester Tunnel Junction, Worcestershire. Both crew are killed. Time Interval Working was in operation because fallen trees had brought down the telegraph lines between Droitwich Spa and Worcester Tunnel Junction signal boxes.[69]
- February 1976 – Switzerland – A head-on collision on the Yverdon–Ste-Croix line kills seven and injures 40.[7]
- February 7, 1976 – United States – A Baltimore & Ohio freight train strikes a pickup truck at an unprotected grade crossing in Beckemeyer, Illinois at about 6:50pm. 12 people are killed, mostly children; 3 others are injured.
- March 4, 1976 – United Kingdom – A bomb explodes on an empty electric multiple unit at Cannon Street, London. Eight people in an adjacent train are injured.[70]
- May 4, 1976 – Netherlands – Schiedam train disaster: An international train collides with a local train, killing 24 people and injuring 11.
- May 23, 1976 – South Korea – At a level crossing in Seoul, a train collides with a tanker truck carrying flammable liquid; 20 people are killed.[71]
- July 23, 1976 – Switzerland – A Riviera Express train derails at Brig. Six people are killed and 32 are injured.[7]
- September 9, 1976 – South Africa – A local train to the black township of Daveyton crashes into the rear of an express stopped for signals at Benoni; 31 people are killed, all on the local. The cause is not determined except that sabotage is ruled out.[71]
- October 10, 1976 – Mexico – A two-car Chihuahua–Los Mochis passenger train collides head-on with a standing freight train, and plunges to the bottom of a 18-metre (60-foot) embankment, near Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, killing 24 people and injuring 60. Some of the passengers were riding on the roof.[72] The two-car autovia emerged from a tunnel and crashed head-on into a moving freight train. No passengers were riding on the roof; that would have been impossible. Railroad employees reported seeing about 60 cadavers; farm laborers' deaths were not counted by authorities. The autovia engineer was killed and his brother, the conductor, was prosecuted for having bypassed a required siding stop. This edit was prepared by an eyewitness passenger.
- November 3, 1976 – Poland – About 2.05 a.m., a Lublin–Wrocław express, on which the train crew had fallen asleep, rams a standing passenger train at Julianka railroad station, Kielce, Świętokrzyskie, killing 25 people and injuring 79.[73]
- November 26, 1976 – United States – On November 26, 1976, a defective fissure caused the derailment of several Burlington Northern Railways train cars carrying tanks of propane, butane, and fuel oil as it was passing through the small town of Belt, Montana. Two people were killed and 22 injured.[citation needed]
1977[]
- January 18, 1977 – Australia – Granville railway disaster: 83 people die when a train derails and hits a bridge support. The bridge then falls, crushing part of the train. This is Australia's worst railway accident.
- January 19, 1977 – India – Near Benares (now Varanasi), a passenger train collides with a stationary train; 28 are killed and 78 injured.[74]
- February 4, 1977 – United States – Chicago Loop derailment, Chicago, Illinois: In the worst accident in the system's history, a Chicago Transit Authority elevated train motorman disregards cab signals and rear-ends another train on the Loop curve at Wabash and Lake Streets during the evening rush hour. Eleven people are killed and over 180 injured as four cars of the rear train derail and fall to the street below. The motorman was discovered to have marijuana in his possession, although it was never determined if he was impaired in any way.[75]
- February 19, 1977 – United States – Pandora, Washington. Milwaukee Road Train 201 collides head-on with train 200.
- February 28, 1977 – Spain – The head-on collision of two crowded Catalan Railways suburban trains about 12 miles (20 km) from Barcelona kills 22 people.[74]
- May 30, 1977 – India – A flood-weakened bridge collapses under a train about 70 miles (110 km) from Gauhati (now Guwahati). The locomotive and four cars fall into the river and 85 people are killed.[74]
- June 27, 1977 – East Germany – Lebus: Because of a dispatcher working under the influence of medication, at Booßen station, near Frankfurt (Oder), a holiday train from Zittau to Stralsund is diverted onto the branch line to Kietz, where it collides with a freight train. 28 people die in the accident, including the train crew of the holiday train; the dispatcher is jailed for five years.[33]
- July 9, 1977 – Poland – Psie Pole, near Wrocław: About 8.00 a.m. express "Czech-Russian Friendship" Prague-Moscow collides with locomotive which passed signal at danger: 11 people killed (or perhaps 32), 15 injured (or perhaps 40)[76]
- September 5, 1977 – United Kingdom – Due to faulty wiring in a lineside relay cabinet, a mail train and a passenger train are involved in a head-on collision at Farnley Junction, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Two people are killed and fifteen are injured.[77]
- September 8, 1977 – Egypt – As an 11-car Cairo-to-Aswan express passes Asyut at about 70 mph (110 km/h), 8 cars derail. Newspaper reports show 70 people killed, but official sources say only 25.[74]
- October 10, 1977 – India – Just after midnight, deluxe express passenger train 103 from Howrah to Amritsar crashes into the rear of a freight at Naini; at least 61 are killed and 151 injured, 81 seriously.[78][79][80]
- November 12, 1977 – Mexico – A National Railroad passenger train collides with a gasoline truck at a grade crossing south of Ciudad Juárez, killing 37 people.[81][82]
- November 25, 1977 – Canada – A second propane tank car explodes at the site of a freight train derailment northwest of Suffield, Alberta. Twenty-five cars remain on the track and most of the derailed cars are on fire. No one lives in the immediate area of the derailment and the three members of the CP Rail crew escape injury.[citation needed]
- November 27, 1977 – East Germany – Bitterfeld: The boiler of a Class 01 steam engine explodes for lack of water, killing 9 and injuring 45.[33][83]
1978[]
- January 4, 1978 – Turkey – The head-on collision of two passenger trains at [84] kills at least 30 people and injures at least 100.
- February 22, 1978 – United States – Waverly tank car explosion, Waverly, Tennessee: A Louisville and Nashville Railroad freight train derails; one tank car containing liquefied petroleum gas explodes two days later, killing 16 people and injuring 43. Numerous buildings in downtown Waverly are destroyed or damaged by force of the blast and resulting fires.
- February 25, 1978 – Argentina – A passenger train collides with a truck in Sa Pereira, Santa Fe, killing 55 and injuring 56.[85][86]
- April 15, 1978 – Italy – Due to a landslide, the locomotive of a Lecce–Milan train collides with a Bolzano-Rome train in Murazze di Vado, Bologna, making it derail. 48 people die and 76 are injured.[87]
- July 6, 1978 – United Kingdom – Taunton sleeping car fire, Taunton, England: A fire aboard a British Rail sleeping car travelling from Penzance to London Paddington kills 12 people. Investigation shows that the fire was caused by the careless placement of a plastic bag of linens against a heater in the car's vestibule.
- September 10, 1978 – United States – As the result of a hotbox, 15 cars of a Conrail freight train derail at a grade crossing in Miamisburg, Ohio, demolishing a house and killing its three occupants. The ensuing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the local police department resulted in a ruling of homicide in the deaths by the Montgomery County Coroner.[citation needed]
- October 12, 1978 – United Kingdom – an IRA bomb exploded on a train near Belfast Central station before it was fully evacuated, killing a woman.[88]
- July 16, 1978 – Australia – Extra wagons were added to Queensland Rail (QR) train No.242 (loaded with interstate fruit) at Cooroy, behind diesel electric locomotive 1521. Control was lost while the train was travelling down the Cooroy-Eumundi Range, a 1:50 (2%) gradient. The locomotive and most of the wagons rolled and derailed on a right-hand curve. Some of the wagons landed on top of the derailed locomotive which had crashed into a small embankment. The fireman (Driver's Assistant), 23, was killed and the driver was injured. Some of the wagons continued further down the range before derailing. QR's Brisbane, Queensland-based breakdown gang took about 2 weeks to clear the damaged wagons, locomotive and produce from the area. An empty LPG tanker had landed relatively close to the derailed locomotive and the remaining gas was carefully burnt off. The Cooroy-Eumundi range was regraded to a less steep gradient.[citation needed]
1979[]
- January 4, 1979 – Turkey – An accident near Istanbul kills 16 people.[84]
- January 9, 1979 – Turkey – A rear-end collision between two commuter trains, also near Istanbul, kills 30 people and injures about 100.[84]
- January 26, 1979 – Bangladesh – Near Chuadanga, a train derails and overturns, killing at least 70 and injuring at least 300.[84]
- April 8, 1979 – United States – Louisville and Nashville Railroad freight train No. 403 derails 29 cars between Milligan, Florida and Crestview, Florida, United States at ~0800 hrs. and punctured tank car leaks anhydrous ammonia, injuring 14.[89]
- April 16, 1979 – United Kingdom – Paisley Gilmour Street accident, head-on collision between two DMU trains after starting signal is passed at danger in a case of "ding-ding, and away". Both drivers and 5 passengers are killed with 67 passengers and 1 guard injured. After this accident the rule change that had made this scenario possible was reversed.
- May 29, 1979 – Canada – A UAC TurboTrain operated by Via Rail on westbound service from Montréal to Toronto caught fire near Morrisburg, Ontario after developing an oil leak. A third of the train was totally destroyed, though there were no deaths or injuries due to a rapid evacuation. This was the last major incident for the troubled Turbo Trains, which were retired in 1982.[90]
- July 10, 1979 – Italy – A Pompeii-Naples and Naples-Herculaneum commuter train crashed in a violent head-on collision under shadow of Under Vesuvius Line, in Cercola near Mount Vesuvius, Naples, killing 14 people and injuring 70.[87]
- August 21, 1979 – Thailand – The head-on collision of freight and passenger trains at Taling Chan kills 52 people and injures about 200.[84]
- August 29, 1979 – Netherlands – Nijmegen train disaster; 8 people die when two passenger trains (one of which wasn't carrying passengers) collide head-on at Nijmegen.[91]Aftermath of the Nijmegen disaster.
- August 29, 1979 – United Kingdom – A High Speed Train is derailed at Northallerton, North Yorkshire due to a seized wheelset on one of the power cars.[92]
- September 13, 1979 – Yugoslavia – At Stalać (now in Serbia), a goods train violates signals, possibly because the driver is asleep; it crashes into a passenger train going to Skopje (now in North Macedonia), and 60 people are killed.[93]
- October 2, 1979 – United States – The Southwest Limited derails at Lawrence, Kansas. Of the 30 crew and 147 passengers on board, two people are killed and 69 are injured. The cause is excessive speed on a curve. Underlying causes are that the engineer is unfamiliar with the route, and that signage indicating the speed restriction has been removed during track repairs.[94]
- October 3, 1979 – Ireland – A passenger train and a freight train are involved in a head-on collision at Arklow, County Wicklow. Twenty-nine people are injured.[95]
- October 12, 1979 - United States - Harvey, Illinois train collision: The Amtrak Shawnee collides head-on into a stopped Illinois Central Gulf freight train, and derails. 2 people killed and 38 injured.
- October 22, 1979 – United Kingdom – Invergowrie rail crash: A semaphore signal failed to return completely to danger, and was apparently interpreted wrongly as clear. 5 killed.
- October 30, 1979 – Djibouti – A freight train—with passengers riding in its empty cars, and unusually many of them due to Eid al-Adha—en route from Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, to Djibouti City runs away due to brake failure; it derails at a bridge near Holhol station, which some cars smash into. There are 63 people killed and 90 injured, mostly women and children.[96][97]
- November 10, 1979 – Canada – Mississauga train derailment in Mississauga, Ontario: tank cars containing propane and chlorine derail due to a hot box, causing a propane fire that burns for days and lofts deadly chlorine high into the air. No one is killed or seriously injured, but more than 250,000 residents are evacuated from the city, the largest peacetime emergency evacuation in North American history until Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
- November 16, 1979 – Ireland – Dalkey, County Dublin. One passenger train runs into another. Thirty-six people are injured.[98]
- December 3, 1979 – India – A derailment at Londa kills 23 people and injures at least 12.[96]
See also[]
- List of accidents by death toll, category "other"
- List of road accidents – includes level crossing accidents.
- List of rail accidents in Canada
- List of rail accidents in the United Kingdom
- List of Russian rail accidents
- Years in rail transport
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Semmens 1994, p. 180.
- ^ "Report on the Derailment that occurred on 20th May 1970 at Audenshaw Junction near Guide Bridge" (PDF). Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 22 April 1971. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Moody 1979, p. 211.
- ^ "CRESCENT CITY TRAIN DERAILMENT: JUNE 21, 1970" (PDF). Ideals.illinois.edu. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ "Perambur train smash toll 16". The Indian Express. 2 November 1970. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Semmens 1994, p. 181.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "SBB-Crash in der Waadt: Der Lokführer ist tot" [SBB crash in Vaud: The driver is dead]. Blick (in German). Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Eisenbahn-Kurier Special #43: Die DB 1971". EK-Verlag, Freiburg. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - ^ Moody 1979, p. 212.
- ^ Rolt & Kichenside 1982, p. 297.
- ^ Shaw 1978, p. 332.
- ^ Rolt & Kichenside 1982, pp. 252–253.
- ^ C.F. Rose. "Report on the Derailment that occurred on 2nd July 1971at Tattenhall Junction near Chester on the London Midland Region British Railways" (PDF).
- ^ Moody 1979, pp. 214–15.
- ^ "Schweiz-Expreß bei Rheinweiler entgleist: 25 Tote". Badische Zeitung. 1971-07-22.
- ^ Earnshaw 1990, p. 45.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Semmens 1994, p. 182.
- ^ Rolt & Kichenside 1982, pp. 265–266.
- ^ Moody 1979, pp. 216–17.
- ^ Earnshaw 1990, p. 44.
- ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ "June 4, 1972—Trains collide in Bangladesh". History Canada. 2017-06-04. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- ^ Semmens 1994, pp. 182–183.
- ^ Kitchenside 1997, p. 68.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Semmens 1994, p. 183.
- ^ Shamsie, Shamin (1990-01-04). "More than 200 killed in train wreck". United Press International. Retrieved 2018-03-24. (The headline refers to a later accident.)
- ^ Haine 1993, p. 178.
- ^ Haine 1993, p. 188.
- ^ Haine 1993, p. 142.
- ^ "Death Toll Rises to 172 In Mexican Train Wreck". New York Times. 1972-10-08. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- ^ Glover 2001, p. 138.
- ^ Shaw 1978, pp. 361–363.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Gerd Böhmer. "Bahnbetriebsunfälle der DR und DB ab 1958".
- ^ Jump up to: a b Semmens 1994, p. 184.
- ^ Nakao, Masayuki. "Train Fire in Hokuriku Tunnel". Association for the Study of Failure. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- ^ Moody 1979, p. 219.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Semmens 1994, p. 201.
- ^ "Bus-Train Crash Kills 7: Wreck Rips West Texas School Vehicle". The Dallas Morning News. February 7, 1973.
- ^ Golias, Paul (2013-09-16). "Railroad engine house lives on as library – News – Citizens' Voice". M.citizensvoice.com. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- ^ United Press International, "Amtrak Special Derailed During Ohio Snowstorm", Playground Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Monday, 19 March 1973, page 2.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Earnshaw 1989, p. 44.
- ^ McLoughlin, M. (24 July 2014). "Derailment of 6H53, 14.42 hrs Earle's siding/trafford park in Disley tunnel on 2nd May 1973 (TM-FT-021)". SPARK. Rail Safety and Standards Board Ltd. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ [2][permanent dead link]
- ^ Lindsey, Robert (October 11, 1973). "Penn Central Derailment Holds Up 40,000 Riders". New York Times. p. 47. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ^ Veja archives O maior da Bahia/ Veja (magazine) no277, December 26, 1973, page 25, Retrieved in July 2009
- ^ Vaughan 1989, pp. 225–28.
- ^ Hall 1990, p. 132.
- ^ Mahoney, Joe (February 12, 2014). "Man recalls catastrophic train wreck 40 years later". The Oneonta Daily Star. Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ "Decatur, IL Tank Cars Explode, July 1974 - GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods". Gendisasters.com. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ Wake Forest Fire Department, Our History, Retrieved Apr. 6, 2016.
- ^ Independent-Journal, 'Amtrak Train Derails In North Carolina', UPI, August 13, 1974, page 28, Retrieved Apr. 16, 2016.
- ^ Department of Transport and Power (March 1975). "REPORT OF INQUIRY INTO THE COLLISION THAT OCCURRED AT ROSSLARE STRAND STATION ON 13th AUGUST 1974" (PDF). The Stationery Office via Rail Accident Investigation Unit. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ Haine 1993, p. 143.
- ^ "Railroad Accident Report RAR-75-07". Ntsb.gov. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ "REPORT OF INQUIRY INTO THE COLLISION THAT OCCURRED AT GORMANSTON RAILWAY STATION ON 21ST OCTOBER, 1974" (PDF). Dublin: Department of Transport and Power via Rail Accident Investigation Unit. January 1975. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ "Ten žmonės degė gyvi: kaip prieš 44 metus įvyko didžiausia traukinių avarija Lietuvos istorijoje?" (in Lithuanian). 15min.lt. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ Semmens 1994, p. 203.
- ^ Rolt & Kichenside 1982, pp. 295–297.
- ^ Kichenside 1997, pp. 50–51.
- ^ Moody 1979, pp. 230–31.
- ^ "Hemeroteca Digital - Diarios Históricos en Internet - Prov. Santa Fé - República Argentina". Santafe.gov.ar. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ "Mirá esta #TapadeClarin que encontré". Clarin Portadas Históricas. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ "La tragedia olvidada". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 4, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ González, Juan Pablo (December 30, 2010). "Escenas impactantes en el Metro capitalino". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ Trevena 1981, p. 46.
- ^ "8 killed in GO Train – bus crash". Globe and Mail. 13 December 1975. pp. 1–2.
- ^ "Missing screw is blamed for 9 bus crash deaths". Globe and Mail. 6 February 1976. pp. 1–2.
- ^ "REPORT OF THE INQUIRY INTO THE ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED NEAR GOREY, CO. WEXFORD ON 31ST DECEMBER 1975" (PDF). Dublin: Department of Transport and Power via Rail Accident Investigation Unit. July 1977. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ Hoole 1982, p. 48.
- ^ Moody 1979, p. 231.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Semmens 1994, p. 204.
- ^ Mexican TV Azteca and Televisa reports
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-04-19. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Semmens 1994, p. 205.
- ^ "Chicago L.org: Mishaps & Unusual Occurrences - The Loop Crash". Chicago-l.org. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-06-23. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Trevena 1981, p. 47.
- ^ Semmens 1994, pp. 205–206.
- ^ Dixit, Brijesh (January 2015). "Economics of Safety on Indian Railways". University of Mumbai. p. 20. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- ^ Shukla, R.K. (judge). "Sudha Srivastava vs Claims Commissioner". Indian Kanoon.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-09. Retrieved 2011-09-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ [3][dead link]
- ^ "Lokomotive explodierte auf dem Bahnhof Bitterfeld". BZ am Abend. 1977-11-27.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Semmens 1994, p. 206.
- ^ "Hemeroteca Digital - Diarios Históricos en Internet - Prov. Santa Fé - República Argentina". Santafe.gov.ar. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ "Mirá esta #TapadeClarin que encontré". Clarin Portadas Históricas. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Tragedia sui binari". Il Sole 24 Ore. January 7, 2004. Archived from the original on July 4, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
- ^ CAIN Chronology of the conflict 1978, retrieved March 4, 2007
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Bateman, Chris (9 December 2015). "Remembering the ill-fated CN Turbo train". Spacing Magazine. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Achtste slachtoffer treinramp Nijmegen". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). September 4, 1979. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
- ^ Hoole 1983, p. 35.
- ^ Semmens 1994, pp. 206–207.
- ^ "Derailment of Amtrack train No. 4 The Southwest Limited on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company Lawrence, Kansas October 2, 1979" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. April 29, 1980. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ "REPORT OF THE INQUIRY INTO THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT ON THE CIE RAILWAY AT ARKLOW, CO WICKLOW ON 3rd OCTOBER, 1979," (PDF). Dublin: Department of Transport via Rail Accident Investigation Unit. July 1982. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Semmens 1994, p. 207.
- ^ "OFDA Disaster Case Reports: Djibouti Train Wreck: October 30, 1979" (PDF). U.S. Agency for International Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-20. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- ^ "REPORT INTO THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT AY DALKEY, CO. DUBLIN ON 16TH NOVEMBER 1979" (PDF). Department for Tourism and Transport via Rail Accident Investigation Unit. October 1987. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
Sources[]
- Earnshaw, Alan (1989). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 5. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-35-4.
- Earnshaw, Alan (1990). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 6. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-37-0.
- Earnshaw, Alan (1991). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 7. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-50-8.
- Glover, John (2001). Southern Electric. Hersham: Ian Allan. ISBN 0 7110 2807 9.
- Haine, Edgar A. (1993). Railroad wrecks. Associated University Presses. ISBN 978-0-8453-4844-4.
- Hall, Stanley (1990). The Railway Detectives. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0 7110 1929 0.
- Hoole, Ken (1982). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 3. Redruth: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-05-2.
- Hoole, Ken (1983). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 4. Truro: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-07-9.
- Kichenside, Geoffrey (1997). Great Train Disasters. Bristol: Siena Books. ISBN 0-75252-630-8.
- Moody, G. T. (1979) [1957]. Southern Electric 1909–1979 (Fifth ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0 7110 0924 4.
- Rolt, L. T. C.; Kichenside, G. M. (1982). Red for Danger: A history of railway accidents and railway safety (4th ed.). Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8362-0. OCLC 9526651.
- Semmens, Peter (1994). Railway Disasters of the World: Principal Passenger Train Accidents of the 20th Century. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-323-2.
- Shaw, Robert B. (1978). A History of Railroad Accidents, Safety Precautions and Operating Practices. LCCN 78104064.
- Trevena, Arthur (1981). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 2. Redruth: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-03-6.
- Vaughan, Adrian (1989). Obstruction Danger. Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 1-85260-055-1.
- "Freight Train Wreck at Houston." ARR Stories: Freight Train Wreck. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2016.
External links[]
Categories:
- Lists of railway accidents and incidents
- 20th-century railway accidents