Train wreck explained

A train accident or train wreck is a type of disaster involving two or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track, when the wheels of train come off the track or when a boiler explosion occurs. Train accidents have often been widely covered in popular media and in folklore.

A head-on collision between two trains is colloquially called a "cornfield meet" in the United States.^[1]

Causes

Train accidents can occur due to a range of factors, including one or more of the following:

• Human error – One of the leading causes of train accidents is human error. This can involve train operators failing to adhere to safety protocols, distraction, fatigue, impaired judgment, or inadequate training.
• Mechanical failures – Equipment malfunctions or failures, such as faulty brakes, defective signaling systems, or problems with locomotives or railcars, can contribute to train accidents.
• Track and infrastructure issues – Poorly maintained tracks, inadequate inspection procedures, or infrastructure deficiencies like weakened bridges or faulty switches can lead to accidents.
• Weather conditions – Severe weather conditions, including heavy rain, snowstorms, or extreme heat, can impact track conditions, visibility, and the overall safety of train operations.
• Sabotage - People who break, place something, or destroy tracks, this is called rail sabotage.^[2]
• Attack - Anyone such as terrorists or shooters disrupted rail traffic such as bombing or shooting on a train.^[3]

Train wreck gallery

See also

• Rail sabotage

• Lists of rail accidents
  • List of accidents and disasters by death toll
• Classification of railway accidents
  • Bridge disaster
  • Level crossing crashes
  • Runaway
  • Signal passed at danger
  • Tram accident
  • Wrong-side failure
• The crash at Crush, Texas, an intentional train wreck conducted as a publicity stunt
• Railway accident deaths

Further reading

• Aldrich, Mark. Death Rode the Rails: American Railroad Accidents and Safety, 1828–1965 (2006) excerpt
• Trains in trouble - the early years. Hornby Magazine. Alan. Earnshaw. 114–117. 7. January 2008. Hersham. Ian Allan Publishing. 1753-2469. 226087101.
• Vaughan, Adrian. Obstruction Danger: Significant British Railway Accidents, 1890–1986 (Motorbooks International, 1989). online

External links

• BBC News: World's worst rail disasters
• Book: A signalman. A voice from the signal-box: or, railway accidents and their causes. 1874. Longmans, Green, & Co.. London.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Definition of CORNFIELD MEET. 2021-07-19. www.merriam-webster.com. en.
2. Web site: Are the railroads being sabotaged causing derailments?. 19 February 2023 .
3. Web site: Train Wrecks and Track Attacks: An Analysis of Attempts by Terrorists and Other Extremists to Derail Trains or Disrupt Rail Transportation. 20 July 2018 .