Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Train Accidents, Attacks and Sabotage

Train Incidents: Accidents, Attacks and Sabotage --- ===
Sometimes accidents are accidents, sometimes they look like something else. 

Causes
  • Curve Derail Excessive Speed
  • Car or bus drives into path of or side of moving train
  • Hit vehicle stuck, making crossing, or driven into train.
  • Hit vehicle driving on tracks
  • Hit vehicle "accidentally" driven on or falls onto tracks
  • Hits vehicle or person attempting suicide
  • Sabotage
  • Speeding
  • Terrorist Attack
  • Vandals

*reference 
Category:Lists of rail transport accidents
Category:Level crossing accidents in the United States

B
1999 Bourbonnais, Illinois, train accident
F
1995 Fox River Grove bus–train collision
G
Gilchrest Road, New York crossing accident
2005 Glendale train crash
M
Midland train crash

     .Top deaths



     .Timeline

     Year 1970s 

    1970s[edit]

    LocationDateDeadInjuredDetails
    Italy San Benedetto Val di Sambro,ItalyAugust 4, 19741240A bomb explodes on the Italicus Express second-class train car before dawn. The first explosion was caused by a bomb; the second was thought possibly to be caused by a short circuit. Responsibility was claimed by the neo-fascist terrorist organization Ordine Nero. See Italicus Express bombing 1974. The defendants, Mario Tuti, Luciano Franci, Piero Malentacchi, and Margherita Luddi were all found not guilty of planting the bomb on the Italicus Rome-West Germany vacation express due to a lack of evidence. They were acquitted in 1983. After the acquittals, no group officially took responsibility for the attack.
    EgyptAlexandria,EgyptAugust 14, 1976851A bomb explodes on a train loaded with workers and peasants at 10:45 am. The bomb was left on the luggage rack and exploded while the train was traveling from the yard to the station. [1]
    Soviet UnionMoscow,Soviet UnionJanuary 8, 1977737A series of bombings in Moscow. The first bomb went off on a crowded train between the Izmailovskaya and Pervomaiskaya stations of the Moscow Metro. See 1977 Moscow bombings

    1980s[edit]

    LocationDateDeadInjuredDetails
    United Kingdom Dunmurry,United KingdomJanuary 17, 198035A premature detonation of a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) incendiary bomb occurred on board a Ballymena to Belfastpassenger train service. See Dunmurry train explosion.
    Italy Bologna, ItalyAugust 2, 198085200+An IED explodes at Bologna Central Station. The attack has been attributed to the neo-fascist terrorist organization Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari and connected to the EU-investigated Operation Gladio. See August 1980 Bologna bombing.
    Italy ItalyDecember 23, 198416200+A bomb in a train between Florence and Rome killed 16 and wounded more than 200. See Years of lead (Italy); Train 904 bombing.



     Year 1981
    • June 6, 1981 Bihar train disaster: A train carrying over 800 plunged off a bridge. 200 bodies were recovered, estimated 500 to 800 deaths. It was among the deadliest ever rail accidents. No cause was determined. 

    1990s[edit]

    LocationDateDeadInjuredDetails
    Egypt near Asyut,EgyptFebruary 19, 199404Gunmen open fire on an Asyut-Luxor train from fields beside the railway track. [2]
    Azerbaijan Baku,AzerbaijanMarch 19, 19941449A suicide bombing takes place at 20 January station of Baku Metro. The lead railroad car was destroyed and the station's roof partially collapsed. See 1994 Baku Metro bombings.
    Azerbaijan Baku,AzerbaijanJuly 3, 19941358A remote controlled-gelatine explosive explodes on a metro train between 28 May and Gənclik stations of the Baku Metro. See1994 Baku Metro bombings.
    Japan Tokyo, JapanMarch 20, 1995136252Sarin Gas was released at 5 locations causing mass injury and loss of life. See Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway
    France Paris, FranceJuly 25, 1995880A gas bottle exploded in the Saint-Michel - Notre-Dame station of line B of the RER (Paris regional train network). See 1995 Paris Metro bombing.
    United States Palo Verde,ArizonaOctober 9, 1995178Amtrak Sunset Limited derails after rails are deliberately shifted out of position. The saboteurs were never identified. See 1995 Palo Verde, Arizona derailment.






    Year 1996



    Paris, France   December 3, 1996 2  killed dozens  injured  Bomb explodes in a car of an RER train at Port Royal station. [3]

    1 killed Jan. 6, 1996 Computer controlled DC Metro train too fast to brake in snow rear-ends parked train  a Washington DC commuter train under computer control was barreling too fast, at 75 mph, in a blizzard. Unable to decelerate quickly enough on snow-covered rails near the Shady Grove station, the train slammed into a parked, unoccupied train, killing the operator.  Metro could have turned off its automated system during the storm and let train operators do the driving in “manual mode.” But it had decided not to. “The train was thus allowed to continue to operate in automatic mode at above-normal speed on known slippery tracks toward a location where significant station over-run could result in a collision,”  Washington Post

     Year 1995 
     Palo Verde,ArizonaOctober 9, 1995178Amtrak Sunset Limited derails after rails are deliberately shifted out of position. The saboteurs were never identified. See 1995 Palo Verde, Arizona derailment.
    Year 1996
    • Sabotage caused  a `runaway' Union Pacific train in Cozad, Nebraska, on December 4, 1996 (Railway age)

    2000s[edit]

    LocationDateDeadInjuredDetails
    Philippines Manila, PhilippinesDecember 30, 2000Islamist militants bombed a train at the Blumentritt LRT Station as part of Rizal Day bombings. See Rizal Day bombings
    Angola Between the towns of Zenza and Dondo, AngolaAugust 10, 2001252165UNITA forces derailed a train with an anti-tank mine and then attacked the passengers with small arms fire. See 2001 Angola train attack.
    India Jaunpur, IndiaMay 13, 20021280An act of sabotage which caused the derailment of a passenger train at Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, a state in Northern India. See Jaunpur train crash
    India Rafiganj, IndiaSeptember 10, 2002130500?The derailment of a train on a bridge over the Dhave River in North-Central India, which was reportedly due to sabotage by a local Maoist terrorist group, the Naxalites. See Rafiganj train disaster
    Russia Stavropol Krai, RussiaSeptember 3, 2003780A blast which ripped through a commuter train in Stavropol Krai, Russia going from Kislovodsk to Mineralnye Vody.[4]
    Russia Stavropol Krai, RussiaDecember 5, 200346170A suicide bomber caused a blast which ripped through a commuter train in Stavropol Krai, Russia going from Kislovodskto Mineralnye Vody as it was leaving Yessentuki. See 2003 Stavropol train bombing (December).
    Russia Moscow, RussiaFebruary 6, 200441120 (up to)Suicide bomber detonates bomb near Avtozavodskaya station. See February 2004 Moscow metro bombing.
    Spain Madrid, SpainMarch 11, 20041912050Ten near-simultaneous explosions occur between Alcalá de Henares and Madrid Atocha railway station during the morning rush hour. See 2004 Madrid train bombings and Reactions to the 2004 Madrid train bombings.
    United Kingdom London, United KingdomJuly 7, 200556700Four explosions (3 on the London Underground and 1 on a bus) rock the transport network in London. See 7 July 2005 London bombings.
    India Jaunpur, IndiaJuly 28, 20051350An explosion destroyed a carriage of an express train near the town of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. See 2005 Jaunpur train bombing
    India Mumbai, IndiaJuly 11, 2006209714Seven explosions in eleven minutes rock the Western Line on the Mumbai Suburban Railway. See 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings.
    India Panipat, IndiaFebruary 18, 20076850Bombs were set off in two carriages, both filled with passengers, just after the train passed Diwana station near the Indian city of Panipat. See 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
    Sri Lanka Colombo, Sri LankaMay 26, 2008872A packed commuter train carrying 200 passenger onboard which time bombing exploded at Dehiwela railroad station, carried out by the LTTE.[5]
    Year 2000
    • 0 casualties July 13, 2000 – Canada – A CN train heading westbound pulling grain hoppers hits a semi-trailer that became stuck [for what reason?] at a level crossing west ofWainwright, Alberta. The two locomotives and 28 cars derailed. The train crew suffered only minor injuries after jumping from the train prior to the collision.[3][4]
    • 1 killed 1 injured by "vandals" August 26, 2000 – United States – A Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern train bound for Central South Dakota was derailed in Brookings, South Dakota, killing the conductor and severely injuring the engineer. The accident was caused intentionally. The suspect called it a 'prank.'[5] "The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad said someone deliberately caused the derailment. Kevin Schieffer, president of the railroad, called it a 'cold-blooded' action. He said a composite drawing was made of someone seen leaving the scene."
    • 22 killed in terrorist attack December 30, 2000 – Philippines – Rizal Day bombings A bomb explodes on a Manila Light Rail Transit System train during a terrorist attack near Blumentritt station. 22 people die and hundreds are injured.
    Year 2001
    • 10 killed 80 injured, cause: suspect claims sleep, jailed 5 years for reckless driving February 28, 2001 – United Kingdom – Selby rail crash, Great Heck, North Yorkshire: A driver on England's M62 motorway falls asleep at the wheel and runs off the road, landing on railway tracks; he escapes, and his vehicle is hit by a passenger train, which derails and hits a coal train traveling in the opposite direction. 10 people die, over 80 are injured. The car driver is later jailed for causing death by dangerous driving.10 killed 82 injured 28 February 2001 Great Heck rail crash, Ruled accident due to sleep deprivation, driver claimed mechanical fault or collision caused loss of control, sentenced 5 years of causing death by dangerous driving. High-speed train accident that occurred at Great Heck near Selby, North Yorkshire, England on the morning of 28 February 2001. Ten people died, including the drivers of both trains involved, and 82 people suffered serious injuries. It remains the worst rail disaster in the 21st century in the United Kingdom. Land Rover Defender towing a loaded trailer (carrying a Renault Savanna estate car) swerved off the M62 motorway just before a bridge over the East Coast Main Line. The vehicle ran down an embankment and onto the southbound railway track. The Land Rover's driver, Gary Neil Hart, tried to reverse it off the track, but he could not. While he was using a mobile telephone to call the emergency services after exiting the vehicle, the Land Rover was hit by a southbound train .Hart escaped the collision unscathed. He claimed that his car had suffered a mechanical fault, or had collided with an object on the road. An investigation, including reconstruction of the Land Rover to demonstrate that it was not mechanically defective, concluded that Hart had been driving in a sleep-deprived condition, and had not applied the brakes as it went down the embankment. It later transpired that Hart had stayed up the previous night talking on the telephone to a woman he had met via an Internet dating agency.[5] Hart was tried on ten counts of causing death by dangerous driving. On 13 December 2001 he was found guilty, and sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
    • May 15, 2001 CSX 8888 Runaway an accidental unmanned runaway CSX Transportation freight train in the U.S. state of Ohio in 2001. Locomotive #8888, an EMD SD40-2, was pulling a train of 47 cars including some loaded with hazardous chemicals. Driver who was never identified stepped out of train to adjust switch, but could not get back on. Train ran uncontrolled for two hours at up to 51 miles per hour (82 km/h).[1] It was finally halted by a railroad crew in a second locomotive, which caught the runaway and coupled to the rear car.[2] The incident inspired the 2010 motion picture Unstoppable
    • August 19, 2001 – Sri Lanka – Kurunegala train crash: 13 people die when a train in Sri Lanka derails because of speeding and overcrowding.[12]


     Year 2002

    Year 2004 
    • February 2004, French found and safely detonated a home-made bomb planted on a railway line north of Lomiges. A  group had threatened to bomb the railways
    • 7 killed 6 November 2004 suicidal car driver Ufton Nervet rail crash  Berkshire, England Seven people, including the drivers of the train and the car, were killed. Train collided with a stationary car at an automatic level crossing. Caused by Brian Drysdale, a chef at the nearby Wokefield Park Hotel, committing suicide by parking his car on the crossing and turned his lights off. The train was travelling at 100 mph. BBC Brian Drysdale had been waiting for the results of an HIV test , The inquest into the deaths heard he had been a mentally unstable man, tormented by his sexuality.Suicide cause for 2004 UK train hits car stopped at crossing completely derailed crash The high-speed train crash that killed seven and injured scores of passengers may have been as a result of the car driver’s attempt to commit suicide.... 300 passengers... completely derailed,,  hit a car at a level crossing ...All the carriages of the train which was carrying some 300 passengers were completely derailed when it hit a car at a level crossing near the village of Ufton Nervet in Berkshire on Saturday. car had been stopped at the crossing prior to the crash and in an interview for BBC Radio said that the action may have been deliberate.. or mechanical failure could not be ruled out,,, Six people, including the train driver and the car driver, are known to have died at the scene, a seventh died later in hospital...  Four of the 18 people in hospital following the incident are said to be in a “serious” condition...reports that the driver of the vehicle had informed the off-duty police officer that he wanted to die have subsequently been denied. 

    Year 2005
    • 11 killed 177 injured ruled intentional but not terrorism January 26, 2005 2005 Glendale train crash - Wikipedia The 2005 Glendale train crash is the second-deadliest incident in the history of Metrolink The root cause of the accident was attributed to the driver of the automobile, Juan Manuel Álvarez of Compton, California, who deliberately drove and left his vehicle onto the tracks. He was arrested and charged with 11 counts of murder with "special circumstances." Álvarez claimed he was planning to commit suicide, but changed his mind convicted in June 2008 of the eleven counts plus one count of arson, and though prosecutors sought a death sentence, was sentenced in August 2008 to 11 consecutive life sentences in prison with no possibility of parole. The next day, police intervened in a similar "copycat" incident in Irvine, California where a suicidal man parked his car on Metrolink tracks. many similarities to that of the Ufton Nervet rail crash in theUnited Kingdom, which occurred only three months previously, although in that case the driver of the car stayed in the vehicle and was killed. no connections to any terrorist organization were found with the suspect.
    Year 2008
    • September 12, 2008, a Union Pacific freight train and commuter train collided head-on in Chatsworth, California, killing 25 people and injuring 135 in an accident officials blamed on the commuter train engineer's failure to stop at a red light.
    • November 1, 2008 In western France overhead power lines were apparently shot out by vandals, causing delays for passengers.
    • November 8, 2008 Four rail attacks in France sabotaged TGV lines by hooking bars across 25,000 volt power cables, delaying 20,000 passengers on  160 trains.
    • November 9, 2008 In France, two concrete slabs were placed across railroad tracks which were hit at 150 kph, sustaining some damage but stayed on tracks with some delay. No passengers were injured. Arrests were carried out in three cities by members of France's anti-terrorist police force

    2010s[edit]

    LocationDateDeadInjuredDetails
    Russia Moscow,RussiaMarch 29, 201040102A double suicide bombing at Lubyanka and Park Kultury stations of the Moscow Metro.
    India West Midnapore, West Bengal, IndiaMay 28, 2010145200+In the West Midnapore district of West Bengal, India, a sabotaged railway track caused a train to derail before an oncoming goods train hit the loose bogies killing at least 65 passengers.
    Russia Dagestan,RussiaJuly 23, 201000An explosive device detonated on the Inchkhe-Izbirbash railway section in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan. It is known that two meters of the track was damaged however no casualties were reportedly sustained in this bomb explosion. The Baku-Kharkov passenger train was later delayed due to this particular bombing.[6]
    Russia Dagestan,RussiaAugust 15, 201000An eight-car freight train was targeted by a bomb explosion, which exploded on the railway track. The train did not derail however and no casualties were reported at the scene of this bombing.[7]
    Year 2010
    • May 28, 2010 The Jnaneswari Express derailment occurred on 28 May 2010 in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal, India. Sabotage was caused by both a bomb and removal of clips from the track, resulting in  to the train's derailment onto tracks where it  was hit by another oncoming freight train killing at least 141 passengers. Police initially blamed Maoists,but found posters of the PCPA (People's Committee against Police Atrocities) claiming responsibility at the site. The PCPA  abducted a railway contractor and four of his workers to remove essential clips from a stretch of tracks.

    Year 2011
    • Jun 15, 2011 Amtrak Steps Up Security Following Iowa Train Sabotage (abc)Someone tried to derail a train carrying highly flammable ethanol Sunday in Iowa with a  lock was cut off a track switch box, and the track was "gapped open" about 2 inches. On Capitol Hill Amtrak Chief of Police John O'Connor said threats against rail transportation are very real and noted the recent event  was just after the May death of [Osama] bin Laden.

     Year 2012
    • February 26, 2012. In Burlington, Ontario, Canada a VIA train passenger train derailed as it travelled too fast to switch tracks, resulting in deaths of the 3 engineers (2 very experienced) in the locomotive and 46 injuries. Investigators are looked for signs of sabotage and why they did not slow for the switch.
    • May 25, 2012 In Bristol UK (guardian) Anarchists claim responsibility for railway signalling sabotage  Signalling cable was destroyed by arson. The group – calling itself the Informal Anarchist Federation vowed to "hurt the national image and paralyse the economy however we can".
    • Train Hits Parade Float With Veterans Nov. 15, 2012 Four veterans were killed and 16 other people were injured when a train slammed into a parade float carrying the returning heroes to a banquet in Midland, Texas. The guardrail came down but the truck's driver was unaware of the danger

    Year 2013
    • April 2, 2013 In Bangladesh sabotage derails a train in Comilla injuring 20 people. 3 are arrested on April 18
    • April 3, 2013 In Bogra, Bangladesh locals found that the Islamist terrorist group Islami Chatra Shibir had sabotaged a railway at 3:00 AM by removing over a hundred clips over a half-kilometer section of track. It took five hours to restore service.
    • April 22, 2013 In Canada Royal Canadian Mounted arrested militant Islamists Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser who planned to derail a Toronto passenger train in a plot backed by 'al-Qaida elements' in Iran Guardian
    • Accident: April 29, 2013 Canada None injured as train derails over washed out section of track in Saskatchewan which was apparently caused by a recent rush of water under the tracks.
    • Mysterious: May 9, 2013 Chemical Train Explosion: In southern Russia, an onboard fire and explosion on freight train carrying chemicals and oil products hurls parts of a railcar high into an upper floor of an apartment building, injuring 27 (no dead)  69 railcars carrying sodium chloride, gasoline, fuel oil, propane and other goods derailed following an onboard fire in the Rostov-on-Don region, around 1,000km south of Moscow.A criminal investigation has been launched into possible safety breaches.
    • May 17, 2013 Bridgeport Connecticut, USA: An eastbound passenger train derailed and was struck by westbound train near Bridgeport during evening rush hour. 70 were injured and tracks were torn up which will require lengthy repairs in an important rail corridor. Officials announced they will not initially determine a probable cause or  speculate on what may have caused the accident. NBCnews.com commenters are convinced it is just  another train wreck or “drug ingested operators”.  Gov. Dannel Malloy said appeared to be an accident rather than an act of sabotage.
    • May 19, 2013 an Amtrak train derailment blocked the Metra commuter train tracks near Chicago for a few hours, there were no injuries. No cause was given in press accounts. 
    • June 17, 2013 San Francisco Caltrain Standoff At 5PM a man with a knife in his 20s was reported to police who sent in hostage negotiators and a SWAT team. A Caltrain commuter rail train was suddently stopped and evacuated. By 6PM they talked him down from a ledge after he failed to comply with orders. As a result, Caltrain commuter rail was shut down for the evening commute. The man was apparently never identified. 
    • Mysterious: why did fire start? July 6, 2013 The Lac-Mégantic derailment in the Eastern Townships of the Canadian province of Quebec, the brakes of an unattended 74-car freight train carrying crude oil failed after a mysterious fire, ran away and derailed, resulting in the fire and explosion of multiple tank cars near the town center. Forty-two people are confirmed dead with 5 more missing and presumed dead.[8] More than 30 buildings in the town's centre, roughly half of the downtown area, were destroyed.[2] Initial newspaper reports described a 1 km blast radius.[9] It is the deadliest rail disaster in Canada since the St-Hilaire train disaster in 1864
    • July 8, 2013 Canada: National Post - GO Train signalling cables severed by thieves GO Transit initially thought trespassing vandals tampered with the cables, but police believe they were copper thieves, though they just severed cables on signal poles and did not take any wire. GO Transit safety officers were investigating the incident Wednesday. Toronto police were also putting together a mischief and vandalism report. Delays affected up to 45,000 commuters. 
    • July 24, 2013 The Santiago de Compostela derailment occurred when an Alvia high-speed train travelling from Madrid toFerrol, in the north-west of Spain, derailed at high speed on a curve about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) outside of the railway station atSantiago de Compostela, Spain. Of the 222 people (218 passengers and 4 crew) aboard, around 140 were injured and 79 died.[3] 
    • July 29, 2013 – Switzerland – Granges-près-Marnand train crash – Two passenger trains collided head-on between the towns of Moudon and Payerne, at Granges-pres-Marnand. One driver died and more than 40 are injured. One of the drivers is thought to have disobeyed a switch signal.
    • August 19, 2013 Bethell Vermont. Brake Tampering on 2 of 3 Cars Causes  Derailment Crash  Incident with received little new coverage, three grain cars had two of three cars brakes deliberately released, apparently an act of felony vandalism or sabotage. It caused the cars to run away, rolling past the end of a spur and derailing causing a crash with $30,000 in damage. 
    • Wednesday, September 25, 2013 loss of a 138 kilovolt Con Edison feeder that supplies electricity to the overhead lines that power the New Haven Line trains plays havoc with serice to 125,000 people requring diesel trains and buses and cancels high speed Acela service 
    • September 18, 2013 Train Hits Canada Bus Crashing Through Crossing Barrier  Six are killed when a double-decker transit bus in Ottawa blasted through the crossing gates to hit a passing passenger train. The driver was killed as the nose of the bus was ripped off and derailed the train. 30 were injured, 11 critically, there were no injuries on the train. Bus passengers screamed at the driver who did not slow down and appeared to be intent on driving into the train, they wondered if he had passed out or did not see the train or the closed gates. The bus operator said that the cause of the crash was not clear.
    • September 30, 2013 Chicago commuter "ghost train" starts for unknown reasons, drives by itself out of a service track and collides with a train loading passengers. Officials say it looks like a mechanical malfunction. Investigators have uncovered no no sign of criminal activity, though the train requires a key to access the control booth, and another key to start the train, and defeating safety systems which will stop the train without a driver.
    • Pakistan Train Bombed in Balochistan province Kills 7 October 21, 2013 Explosions targeting a passenger train killed at least six passengers and injured more than 12 others in Pakistan's southern Balochistan province. Three improvised explosive devices went off in a coordinated manner. Baloch separatists have been targeting security forces and infrastructure in the region for more than a decade
    • March 27, 2013 A train carrying oil from Canada derailed and leaked 30,000 gallons of crude oil in western Minnesota. 30,000 gallons were spilled.
    • 2013 NYC Metro North Bronx Train Derailment On December 1, 2013, a Metro-North Railroad passenger train derailed near the Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx, killing 4 people and injuring 63 others.A freight train had derailed on the other side of the same station four months earlier.The NTSB found the train was going 82 miles per hour as it entered a 30-mph curve. Driver William Rockefeller 20-year veteran of the MTA and has clean disciplinary record was first heard to have said that the brakes did not work. Later the driver told first responders "he began to daze, thinking about nothing in particular and the train began to derail". He did not apply brakes until it was already derailing.
    • December 30, 2013 North Dakota Oil Train Derails and Explodes Near Casselton North Dakota, a soybean train derailed when then ran into a train with crude oil which exploded, causing an evacuation of the town. Investigators at the scene have found nothing wrong with the railroad track or with signals along the tracks, but a broken axle was found.

    Year 2014
    • January 31, 2014 Twenty-one  train cars derailed in New Augusta Mississippi, nine of them with flammable cargo like crude oil, liquid fertilizer and methanon. None caught fire. (Time 
      feb 17, 2014)
      February 5, 2014 Train Spills 12000 Gallons Of Oil In Minnesota, No Major Cleanup Effort Planned ThinkProgress ‎12,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from a Canadian Pacific Railwaytrain on Monday in Minnesota, dribbling oil along the tracks for 68 miles, February 17, 2014 Time Magazine "more crude oil spilled from railcars in 2013 than in the previous 37 years combined
    • Casualties 159 29 killed 130 injured Saturday February 28, 2014 Kunming China Train Station Stabbing Attack At least 29 are killed and 130 injured by a gang of apparent knife-wielding terrorists dressed in black uniforms who went on a stabbing spree at a train station in Kunming, China. The government concluded it was a terrorist attack by Uighur extremists as the men were gunned down by police. Chinese media is calling it China's 9/11, while other media question why the government is not releasing any evidence of connection to terrorists or revealing the identities of the attackers. Initially no motive has been revealed as the press noted the pattern of violent attacks by people who were angry or bearing various specific grudges against doctors and other elements of society, and also attacks by uighurs seeking an independent Islamic state.
    • Apr 30, 2014 Urumqi Train Station Attack 82 casualties, 3 killed including 2 suicide bombers, 79 wounded, 4 seriously: Bomb attack at a railway station in the far-west region of Xinjiang after the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, finished a four-day tour of the region vowing to step up anti-terrorism efforts. China blamed  two "religious extremists" for the attack, identifying only Sedirdin Sawut, a 39-year-old man from Aksu prefecture. Police are looking for 10 family members of the  bomber
    • 25 total 4 killed 21 injured May 21, 2014 Taipei Taiwan Train Stabbing Spree Kills 4 In Taipei Taiwan, a university student with 2 knives he purchased at a store attacked subway riders, killing four and injuring 21.
    • 3 killed June 22, 2014 crash Two Amtrak trains hit vehicles driving on tracks, one killing 3 near Boston June 23, 2014 AP  Amtrak train hit a vehicle that was apparently driving on train tracks in Massachusetts, killing three people in the vehicle and derailing the train. Crash also disrupted  train service along the busy Northeast corridor. crash just before midnight in a remote area southwest of Boston No injuries on train SUV or a truck, was headed north on the tracks toward Boston. Train speed limit in the crash area is 125 mph.  Another train struck a wood chipper being towed by a truck in  Connecticut  Monday morning, injuring five people. Conductor hailed as hero warning passengers after train collides with truck in Berlin WTNH Amtrak train #490, the New Haven-Springfield shuttle, hit a truck pulling a wood chipper.the truck was on the tracks when the train came through,” driver of the truck – the other individuals, the workers of the truck, fled prior to the train — he was still trying to move that truck off of the tracks when the accident happened.”engineer was able to apply the brakes and run into the train to warn passengers by evacuating the first coach. “The engineer saw what was going to happen, apparently raced through the two cars, inform people to be ready and moved everyone to the second car  MassliveThree people were killed late Sunday when an Amtrak train struck a car at a crossing in Mansfield, Mass. truck, registered to a company called Trees Incorporated, was involved in tree clearing around the tracks. A worker tried to move the truck as they saw the train approaching but was unable to move it in time to avoid the crash, caused the locomotive to train to derail,
    • July 3, 2014 Montana Train Derails Sending Boeing 737 Fuselages Into River In Missoula, Montana a train carrying 6 green unfinished Boeing 737 fuselages derailed sending 3 of them down the embankment just above the river. It will probably have some effect on 737 production.
    Year 2015 
    • 2 killed 11 injured January 5, 2015  Authorities: 2 dead, at least 11 injured in school bus fails to  stop before train crash
    • 6 killed February 3, 2015 Commuter train hits a Mercedes SUV stopped at a crossing kills six in Valhalla, New York. Woman driver who was killed stopped after gate hit back of her truck, she looked, got back in,  then was hit by train. Third rail pierced car, killing passengers, truck gas tank exploded into flames. She mother of 3 was employee at jewelry store with a $48,000 Mercedes ML 350 SUV. Valhalla train crash - Wikipedia The driver of an SUV was caught inside the crossing gate when it descended. apparently attempted to rectify the situation by crossing the tracks instead of backing up. She, along with five passengers on the train, died when her vehicle was struck by train.
    • 30 injured, train derailed, driver arrested  February 24, 2015 Oxnard CA Commuter Train Crashes Into Hit and Run Truck Parked On Tracks A Los Angeles-bound Metrolink train derailed near the city of Oxnard, about 75 miles after hitting a tractor trailer which exploded into flames that was parked on the tracks for an unknown reason. Police detained the driver of the truck, who attempted to run from the accident site. 
    • 1 killed 4 injured March 10, 2015 Dien Sanh Vitnam train crash into truck blocking tracks Wikipedia  Quảng Trị Province Vietnam Type of incident Vehicle obstructing line Injuries 4 serious Damage VND 23 billion The Dien Sanh train crash occurred on 10 March 2015 when a passenger train struck a lorry obstructing the line on a level crossing near Dien Sanh station, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam. One person was killed and four were seriously injured. Passenger train collided with a truck lorry on a level crossing near Dien Sanh station. The locomotive and three carriages derailed, killing the train driver and seriously injuring four other people, including the lorry driver. Several more were reported to have been injured Damage was estimated at VND 23 billion (US$ 1.1 million). The locomotive was destroyed, two carriages and a dining car were damaged. Over 120 metres (130 yd) of track was destroyed.
    • 1 killed March 29, 2015 Van drives into side of passing train in Butler County Mar 30, 2015 KAKE New deadly collision between a van and train at 1:09 a.m. Toyota Minivan ran into the side of a northbound freight train at a marked crossing. The train crew was not aware of the collision. A southbound train spotted the burning van thirty minutes later and called 911. See May 13, 2015 Bowling Green Kentucky Driver Rukata Sadiki Survives Crash Into Train Ignoring Warnings and Horn 
    • 1 killed May 10, 2015 Louisiana Tow Truck Driver Killed by Amtrak Train at Dangerous, Unguarded and Humped Canadian National Crossing  Amite, Louisiana 35-year-old Louisiana flatbed tow truck driver briefly got his vehicle hung up on a dangerous, unguarded and elevated Canadian National railroad crossing in Amite, LA Sunday afternoon at about 1:35 P.M., CDT, and died when his vehicle was struck by an Amtrak streamliner, one of a dozen trains that pass through Amite daily at a top allowable speed of 79 mph.  fifth accident to occur at the Pope Lane It is virtually certain that if equipped with lights and gates this accident would not have happened.(why was truck accidentally stopped in path of train?)
    • May 13, 2015 Bowling Green Kentucky Driver Rukata Sadiki Survives Crash Into Train Ignoring Warnings and Horn 59-year-old Rukata Sadiki drove his Pontiac minivan (intentionally or accidentally?) for unexplained reasons into a moving train before 8:30 a.m, even though witnesses saw that all crossing warnings were active and the train sounded its horn. wbko  witness heard the horn and saw the train. He just sped up and tried to beat it. The train hit him and threw him off to the side. I ran over to make sure he was okay. I asked him eight times and he never responded."the Sadiki was conscious in the driver's seat after the crash but didn't move very much. About that name: other Sadikis: Larbi Sadiki is an academic at Qatar University. Kamau Sadiki was a member of the Black Liberation Army found him guilty for the murder of an Atlanta Police Officer. Imam Wilmore Sadiki lectures on "African American Culture in Islam" Rukata is a common name in Africa for muslims. tags: African suspect,  Train Incidents, (possible) deliberate accident
    • Did Amtrak Engineer Deliberately Crash Train? May 15, 2015 The Amtrak engineer who is under investigation in Tuesday night’s train crash that killed 8, ranted online for improvements in rail safety, the LAtimes.com reports. In the hours after the crash, Bostian told investigators he did not recall the crash, then he lawyered up and refused to speak to investigators. activist also campaigned against California’s Prop 8 that banned the rights of gays to get married. He was very vocal about his support of gay marriage and actively sought out media attention. Twitter.com users reacted angrily to Bostian’s  lifestyle.  Some observers believe Bostian deliberately crashed the train in a narcissistic bid to bring attention to the need for rail safety improvement.
    • 1 killed, suspect possible suicide attack May 30, 2015 Moorhead ND Man Witness Believes Man Deliberately Stopped To Cause Train Crash  In Moorhead, near Fargo North Dakota. One of the only people to witness the deadly train, truck crash says he believes the driver purposely stopped on the tracks to get hit. Troy Blevins saw the truck get it and heard it explode, and took pictures. Usually no one suspects someone stopping or driving on tracks is trying to get hit by the train.  "it sure honestly looked to be that someone tried to do that, it's the only thing I can think of that they stopped, it made me ill, sad," says Blevins. Victim was identified as 80 yr old Gerald Sinclair. Two witnesses saw the truck go through the crossing after lights flashed and gates came down, and train was unable to stop in time. 
    Year 2016



    March 24, 2016  Biya Abdella Buta guilty in Calloway train propane truck crash On a Canadian Pacific Railway track in Callaway MN, a propane truck stopped in front of a train causing an explosion and fire that caused evacuation of the town of about 200. Thirty-two-year-old Biya Abdella Buta of Mandan, North Dakota, pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular operation, and was sentenced to 30 days and two years of probation for this crash.

    September 26, 2016  Mahamoud Hussein Ignores Crossing, Drives His Semi In Front of Train Which  Crashes into Flaming Wreck   Semi collides with train near Dwight, ND dukefmfargo.com (KFGO) - A semi collided with a train about 10 miles northwest of Wahpeton, ND.    Semi Driver Walks Away from Train vs. Truck Crash Near Dwight ... KVRR  Sep 26, 2016 - A semi collided with a train near Dwight, North Dakota and the semi driver was lucky to walk away alive.   According to officials, the crew sounded the horn multiple times but the driver proceeded right in front of the train.  However, the truck driver, Mahamoud Hussein, made it out of his vehicle before it received extensive damage. first responders don't quite know how he did that, but he got himself up and walked from the flaming burning truck," said Asplund.  Semi collides with train, driver not seriously hurt Monday, September 26, 2016 10:37 a.m. CDT by Jim Monk  semi was pushed about a block down the track.  The semi driver, 30 year-old Mahamoud Hussein of Minneapolis, managed to escape on his own and walk to the highway.  He was treated for minor injuries. .. example of consequences when drivers don't pay attention at railroad crossings.   Jihad suicide attack? 

    Deliberate crash immediately ruled out (why?)  September 29, 2016 Hoboken Train Crash Likely Not Deliberate Terrorism Commuter train without explanation suddenly throttles up as it is about to stop and crashes into the train station, killing a woman on the platform and injuring scores. Authorities immediately rule out any connection to terrorism or deliberate crash. There is no problem with train, tracks or the driver.  The drive who cooperates with authorities says he remembers approaching at 10 mph, but cannot remember anything while the throttles were manually pushed forward and train speeded up to 20 mph and brakes hit at the last instant before the crash. As deliberate operation has been ruled out there is no possible or obvious explanation for how the train could have speeded up. 



    *Possible Deliberate Railway Crashes


    Criminal investigations

    1 killed, suspect possible suicide attack May 30, 2015 Moorhead ND Man Witness Believes Man Deliberately Stopped To Cause Train Crash  In Moorhead, near Fargo North Dakota. One of the only people to witness the deadly train, truck crash says he believes the driver purposely stopped on the tracks to get hit. Troy Blevins saw the truck get it and heard it explode, and took pictures. Usually no one suspects someone stopping or driving on tracks is trying to get hit by the train.  "it sure honestly looked to be that someone tried to do that, it's the only thing I can think of that they stopped, it made me ill, sad," says Blevins. Victim was identified as 80 yr old Gerald Sinclair. Two witnesses saw the truck go through the crossing after lights flashed and gates came down, and train was unable to stop in time.

    Did Amtrak Engineer Deliberately Crash Train? May 15, 2015 The Amtrak engineer who is under investigation in Tuesday night’s train crash that killed 8, ranted online for improvements in rail safety, the LAtimes.com reports. In the hours after the crash, Bostian told investigators he did not recall the crash, then he lawyered up and refused to speak to investigators. activist also campaigned against California’s Prop 8 that banned the rights of gays to get married. He was very vocal about his support of gay marriage and actively sought out media attention. Twitter.com users reacted angrily to Bostian’s  lifestyle.  Some observers believe Bostian deliberately crashed the train in a narcissistic bid to bring attention to the need for rail safety improvement.

    1 killed May 10, 2015 Louisiana Tow Truck Driver Killed by Amtrak Train at Dangerous, Unguarded and Humped Canadian National Crossing  Amite, Louisiana 35-year-old Louisiana flatbed tow truck driver briefly got his vehicle hung up on a dangerous, unguarded and elevated Canadian National railroad crossing in Amite, LA Sunday afternoon at about 1:35 P.M., CDT, and died when his vehicle was struck by an Amtrak streamliner, one of a dozen trains that pass through Amite daily at a top allowable speed of 79 mph.  fifth accident to occur at the Pope Lane It is virtually certain that if equipped with lights and gates this accident would not have happened.(why was truck accidentally stopped in path of train?)

    5 killed  May 22, 2015  Austria: 5 in car killed when hit by train at crossing: Train tragedy leaves five dead in Purgstall According to police five people were killed when their vehicle was hit by a train at a level crossing 80km west of Vienna on Friday. READ killed ... including two adults (26 and 32) and two boys (7 and 8) and a girl (11) were killed in the accident.  tags: Train Incidents

    1 killed March 29, 2015 Van drives into side of passing train in Butler County Mar 30, 2015 KAKE New deadly collision between a van and train at 1:09 a.m. Toyota Minivan ran into the side of a northbound freight train at a marked crossing. The train crew was not aware of the collision. A southbound train spotted the burning van thirty minutes later and called 911.

    Truck driver arrested after train crash- USA Today USA TodayFeb 25, 2015 - A California Metrolink train collided with a tractor trailer and derailed in... The driver of a truck that took a wrong turn and stopped on railroad tracks, triggering a crash with a ... 54-year-old man from Yuma, Ariz. , was arrested Tuesday afternoon. ... The truck exploded into flames, and three Metrolink rail cars ...

    No known cause: Valhalla train crash On the evening of February 3, 2015, a commuter train on Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line struck a Mercedes SUV at a grade crossing near Valhalla, New York, United States, between the Valhalla andMount Pleasant stations, killing six people and injuring fifteen others, including seven in "very serious condition".[1][2]

    3 killed June 22, 2014 crash Two Amtrak trains hit vehicles driving on tracks, one killing 3 near Boston June 23, 2014 AP  Amtrak train hit a vehicle that was apparently driving on train tracks in Massachusetts, killing three people in the vehicle and derailing the train. Crash also disrupted  train service along the busy Northeast corridor. crash just before midnight in a remote area southwest of Boston No injuries on train SUV or a truck, was headed north on the tracks toward Boston. Train speed limit in the crash area is 125 mph.  Another train struck a wood chipper being towed by a truck in  Connecticut  Monday morning, injuring five people. Conductor hailed as hero warning passengers after train collides with truck in Berlin WTNH Amtrak train #490, the New Haven-Springfield shuttle, hit a truck pulling a wood chipper.the truck was on the tracks when the train came through,” driver of the truck – the other individuals, the workers of the truck, fled prior to the train — he was still trying to move that truck off of the tracks when the accident happened.”engineer was able to apply the brakes and run into the train to warn passengers by evacuating the first coach. “The engineer saw what was going to happen, apparently raced through the two cars, inform people to be ready and moved everyone to the second car  MassliveThree people were killed late Sunday when an Amtrak train struck a car at a crossing in Mansfield, Mass. truck, registered to a company called Trees Incorporated, was involved in tree clearing around the tracks. A worker tried to move the truck as they saw the train approaching but was unable to move it in time to avoid the crash, caused the locomotive to train to derail,

    2 killed including child, apparent suicide Fatal crash Canada car parked on tracks with train was likely deliberate QMI Agency June 2, 2014 A car collided with a Via Rail train east of Montreal on June 2, 2014 SAINT-LIBOIRE, Quebec Authorities believe that a car was purposely stopped on rail tracks at crossing before it was hit by a train, killing both occupants of the vehicle. A man in his 40s and a young child were killed collision occurred Monday morning. Canada Via train crash into SUV parked on tracks kills father and son, may have been deliberate Thierry Patenaude-Turcotte, 42, and Nicolas Patenaude, 21 months, killed in collision with passenger train CBC News Jun 02, 2014  The Quebec provincial police homicide squad is investigating the crash of a train and an SUV this morning east of Montreal that killed Thierry Patenaude-Turcotte, 42, and 21-month-old Nicolas Patenaude. 'It is possible that this was a voluntary act.' — Sgt. Joyce Kemp, Sûreté du Québec.  SUV had passed a number of vehicles using the shoulder of the road before stopping on the tracks. "So far, the investigation that has been done at the scene and the meetings that the investigators have had with several people lead us to believe that it is possible that this was a voluntary act," said Sgt. Joyce Kemp of the Sûreté du Québec. This afternoon, police spokesman Sgt. Claude Denis told CBC News that the vehicle was parked on the tracks at the time of the crash, but he later said he could not confirm that detail

    13 killed 6 injured February 4, 2014 Ukraine bus ignores signals and drives into path of train "The shuttle bus ignored the traffic lights and the sound signals and headed to the crossing. The train ripped it in two and dragged it for a long distance, 2014 Ukraine train bus collision  the bus driver survived.

    Canada train crash: authorities open criminal investigation. Telegraph UK  Jul 09, 2013 · Canadian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into a deadly oil train derailment that killed at least 15 people over the weekend. How / who started the fire in the engine that started the whole thing?

    April 26, 2013 crash Driver Sentenced In Deadly Butler Co. Bus-Train Crash March 13, 2014 Sentencing,Train Crash BUTLER (KDKA) – A judge sentenced a bus driver today in connection with a deadly crash involving a freight train in Butler County. Frank Schaffner was given house arrest and community service for his role in the accident in in Evans City in April 26, 2013 Schaffner, 60, of Butler Township, pled guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of reckless endangerment over what happened at a railroad crossing in Evans City. On April 26, Schaffner was driving a 12-seat bus for Butler Area Rural Transit; he did not stop at the railroad crossing and a freight train hit the bus, killing 2 injuring 8  the passengers yelled to him that the train was coming, but says a radio was on, and when he heard him, it was too late. Evans City police charge bus driver with homicide in deadly ...Pittsburgh Tribune‑ReviewMay 9, 2013 - Evans City police Chief Joseph McCombs charged Frank Schaffner, 59, of Butler Township with multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter, ...

    1 killed 11 injured Train enters curve at twice legal speed like Philadelphia Amtrak: 28 June 2010 – Czech Republic – A CityElefant passenger train from Prague to Ústí nad Labem derails while entering the Ústí nad Labemstation, killing the driver and injuring 11 passengers. The cause of the derailment is unknown; the train's 108 km/h (67 mph) speed exceeded the local 50 km/h (31 mph) speed limit and may have been a factor.[36]

    11 killed 177 injured ruled intentional but not terrorism January 26, 2005 2005 Glendale train crash - Wikipedia The 2005 Glendale train crash is the second-deadliest incident in the history of Metrolink The root cause of the accident was attributed to the driver of the automobile, Juan Manuel Álvarez of Compton, California, who deliberately drove and left his vehicle onto the tracks. After he  left his Jeep Cherokee Sport vehicle parked on the tracks, he was arrested and charged with 11 counts of murder with "special circumstances." Authorities and Álvarez's legal defense claimed Álvarez was planning to commit suicide, but changed his mind at the last minute. Álvarez was convicted in June 2008 of the eleven counts plus one count of arson, and though prosecutors sought a death sentence, was sentenced in August 2008 to 11 consecutive life sentences in prison with no possibility of parole. The next day, police intervened in a similar "copycat" incident in Irvine, California where a suicidal man parked his car on Metrolink tracks. The man drove away from the tracks when police arrived and was later arrested. The root cause of the accident was attributed to the driver of the automobile, Juan Manuel Álvarez of Compton, California, who deliberately drove and left his vehicle onto the tracks while allegedly attempting to commit suicide. Having slashed his wrists and stabbed himself repeatedly in the chest, he parked his car on the tracks to finish the attempt. However, Álvarez changed his mind and attempted to leave the railroad tracks. Because he was unable to dislodge his vehicle from the rain-soaked gravel and slick rails, he abandoned the vehicle moments before the crowded southbound train approached. However, there has been some speculation that Álvarez may have inflicted the wounds on himself after the crash, based on some early reports by witnesses. Both this causation and the end result have many similarities to that of the Ufton Nervet rail crash in theUnited Kingdom, which occurred only three months previously, although in that case the driver of the car stayed in the vehicle and was killed. Early rumors of the incident being a terrorist attack were dismissed, as no connections to any terrorist organization existed with the suspect.

    7 killed 6 November 2004 suicidal car driver Ufton Nervet rail crash was a collision between a train and car near Ufton Nervet, Berkshire, England in 2004. Seven people, including the drivers of the train and the car, were killed.  at 18:12 GMT, the First Great Western 17:35 service from London Paddington to Plymouth, an InterCity 125 (HST) led by a Class 43 power car (43019) collided with a stationary car at an automatic level crossing close to the rural West Berkshire village of Ufton Nervet. The inquest concluded that the crash was caused by Brian Drysdale, a chef at the nearby Wokefield Park Hotel, committing suicide by parking his car on the crossing. similar: 2005 Glendale train crash crash in January 2005 on the Los Angeles commuter rail system in similar circumstances.
    7 killed  August 11, 2004  Suicide cause for 2004 UK train hits car stopped at crossing completely derailed crash The high-speed train crash that killed seven and injured scores of passengers may have been as a result of the car driver’s attempt to commit suicide.... 300 passengers... completely derailed,,  hit a car at a level crossing ...car had been stopped at the crossing prior to the crash and in an interview for BBC Radio said that the action may have been deliberate.. or mechanical failure could not be ruled out,,, Six people, including the train driver and the car driver, are known to have died at the scene, a seventh died later in hospital...  Four of the 18 people in hospital following the incident are said to be in a “serious” condition...reports that the driver of the vehicle had informed the off-duty police officer that he wanted to die have subsequently been denied.

    7 killed ruled accident: 1995 Fox River Grove bus–train collision was a grade crossing accident that killed seven students riding aboard a school bus in Fox River Grove, Illinois, on the morning of October 25, 1995. The school bus, driven by a substitute driver, was stopped at a traffic light with the rearmost portion extending onto a portion of the railroad tracks when it was struck by a Metra commuter train en route to Chicago.[1]

    *Timeline



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