Runaway train

A runaway train is one of various types of incident in which unattended rolling stock is allowed to accidentally roll onto the main line, a moving train loses enough braking power to be unable to stop in safety or a train operates at unsafe speeds due to loss of operator control. If the uncontrolled rolling stock derails or hits another train, it will result in a train wreck.

A railway air brake can fail if valves on the pipe between each wagon are accidentally closed; the 1953 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck and the 1988 Gare de Lyon train accident were results of a valve accidentally closed by the crew, reducing braking power.

A parked train or cut of cars may also run away if not properly tied down with a sufficient number of hand brakes.

Incidents

Accidents and incidents involving defective or improperly-set railway brakes include:

• Lac-Mégantic derailment, Quebec (2013), brakes were improperly set^[1] on unattended parked crude oil train, runaway tank cars derailed on a curve in the centre of town, spilling five million litres of oil and causing fires which killed forty-seven people.
• Congo-Kinshasa west of Kananga (2007) - 100 killed.^[2]
• Igandu train disaster, Tanzania (2002) – runaway backwards - 281 killed.
• Tenga rail disaster, Mozambique (2002) – runaway backwards - 192 killed.
• CSX 8888 incident, United States (2001) - freight train ran away under power without a crew after engineer incorrectly set the locomotive's dynamic brake. The incident inspired the 2010 motion picture Unstoppable.^[3]
• San Bernardino train disaster, California (1989) - brakes failed on freight train which crashed into houses
• Chester General rail crash, UK (1972) - brakes failed on fuel train which collided with parked DMU
• Chapel-en-le-Frith, Great Britain (1957) – broken steam pipe made it impossible for crew to apply brakes.
• Federal Express train wreck, Union station, Washington, DC, (1953) - valve closed by badly designed bufferplate.
• Torre del Bierzo rail disaster, Spain (1944) - brakes failed on overloaded passenger train which collided with another in a tunnel; a third train was unaware and also crashed into it.
• Armagh rail disaster, Northern Ireland (1889) – runaway backwards led to change in law.
• Shipton-on-Cherwell train crash, Oxford (1874) - caused by fracture of a carriage wheel.

References

See also

• Dark territory
• Positive train control
• Railroad Safety Appliance Act
• Category:Runaway train disasters

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