Voghera train crash

The railway accident in Voghera on May 31, In 1962, the collision of a freight train on a stationary passenger train in Voghera railway station as part of the Milan-Genoa railway Ferrovie dello Stato. This was with 64 dead one of the worst accidents in the history of the railways in Italy.

Starting position

The Voghera train station was needed to a system change between the station operated with direct current from Milan and AC powered route to Genoa, so that all trains stop here and change the locomotive.

On track three of the station Voghera the express train was held in 1391 from Milan to Genoa at night. The train was heavily staffed by 700 travelers: Most of the travelers were trippers on the Ligurian coast. The passenger train was at 2 clock 35 in the term to come out of the station.

The freight train 8151 followed him in the same compound. It consisted of 39 empty cement cart, pulled by an electric locomotive E.626 series and was the Milano Smistamento station to Arquata Scrivia go.

The entrance to the station was secured by a " stop" pointing entry signal and the corresponding distant signal, which should cover the passenger against subsequent trains. The signals were not connected to an automatic train protection system, which could trigger an emergency brake when driving over a " stop" signal displayed.

Circumstances of the accident

The freight train was - as the later evaluation of the tachograph revealed - since the station Milano Rogoredo at speeds of 70-75 km / h on the road, which was at that time a very considerable speed for a freight train on this route. This speed was not reduced, as he approached the Voghera railway station. This was all the more surprising as the train had to stop for technical reasons in the station because of the change of the current systems to bias another locomotive.

The freight train ran over the first " stop" pointing entry signal. This observed a railway official, who then hand- signaled the engineer to stop. Only this led to slow the train drivers - nine seconds and 170 m before the collision occurred at about 60 km / h, the engine of the freight train smashed the final car of the passenger train.

Follow

64 people - all people in the last car of the passenger train - died, four of them later in the hospital. 36 people were also injured.

On the 40th anniversary of the accident, on 31 May 2002, a commemorative plaque at the entrance building to the train station of Voghera was attached.