Newswire

Quarterly round-up: between April and July this year, several rail incidents occurred around the world, causing injuries and fatalities.

15 April, USA

Freight derails on washed-out formation in Maine, fire ensues

A freight derailed north of Rockwood. The crew sustained minor injuries. Reports suggest that a build-up of melting ice and debris had washed away part of the trackbed. A small fire broke out, which was soon contained.

23 April, Germany

Level crossing collision in Hannover

A car drove round the barriers at a level crossing in Neustadt am Rübenberge and was struck by a passenger train. The car driver and two passengers were killed. One train passenger was injured as a result of the emergency brake application.

26 April, Pakistan

Seven killed in train fire near Karachi

A passenger train caught fire north of Karachi, killing seven people. Local media reported that the flames engulfed several carriages. There is speculation that a gas stove may have been in the causal chain. Passengers sometimes use stoves to cook meals, despite the rules forbidding this.

27 April, USA

Freight derails, containers fall into Mississippi River, near Lansing Bridge

A freight train derailed and caught fire in Ohio. There were no fatalities, but one person was injured. The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report said the train had been running with a hot axle. The axle is thought to have failed as the brakes were applied.

4 May, Germany

Two trackworkers struck and killed by train near Cologne

At around 11:00 (local time), a passenger train struck and killed two track workers to the west of Cologne. An unspecified number of the same team were injured. Five were also treated for shock/trauma after witnessing the incident. The cause is under investigation.

5 May, Canada

Freight derails on collapsed bridge in Kingston, no reported injuries

A Canadian National freight train carrying dangerous goods derailed after a bridge over the Little Cataraqui Creek collapsed in Kingston. The train was carrying hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid. Two of the six wagons involved ended up in the water. There were no reported injuries among the three crew members.

2 June, India

Derailment and collision kills 292 in Odisha

A passenger train was re-routed, struck a freight train and derailed, in Odisha. Another train was struck by the debris as it passed. In all, 292 people were killed and 1,175 were injured. Early reports suggest that work done on the area’s signalling equipment was not tested before being signed back in for use.

8 June, Austria

Nightjet catches fire in Terfner Tunnel,
33 injured

A fire broke out on a Nightjet service in the Terfner Tunnel. All 151 passengers were evacuated, but 33 required hospital treatment for smoke inhalation. Reports say the fire started after the overhead line equipment broke and fell onto a train transporting cars.

14 June, Australia

Four injured in collision between freight train and lorry in Katherine

A freight struck a lorry on a level crossing near Katherine in the Northern Territory. The train derailed and a fire broke out, which spread to nearby bushland. It was quickly contained by the emergency services. Four people were injured, all of whom were members of the train crew.

24 June, USA

Bridge collapses as freight passes over, wagons fall into Yellowstone River

A bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsed as a freight train was passing over it. A number of wagons, carrying hot asphalt and sulphur, fell into the river. The cause of the collapse is under investigation, but some have suggested that heavy river flows may have weakened the structure.

17 July, USA

Freight derailment in Pennsylvania caused by sinkhole in trackbed

A CSX freight of 40 wagons derailed in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania. There were also no reported injuries to the crew. CSX’s preliminary report found the derailment to have been caused by a sinkhole in the permanent way, itself caused by adverse weather conditions.

6 August, Pakistan

Passenger train derails with loss of 30 lives near Sarhari

The ‘Hazara Express’, travelling from Karachi to Rawalpindi, derailed near Sarhari, between Shahdadpur and Nawabshah. Thirty people were killed and over 100 were injured. The injured were taken to hospital. Railway Minister Saad Rafiq said the cause of the derailment could be ‘a mechanical fault or sabotage’.