Darlington rail crash

Darlington rail crash
Darlington rail crash
Date and time 27 June 1928
Location Darlington Bank Top station
Rail line East Coast Main Line
Cause Driver misunderstood signals
Trains 2
Deaths 25
Injuries 45
List of UK rail accidents by year

The Darlington rail crash occurred on 27 June 1928, at Darlington railway station in England county of Durham.Two steam trains collided and 25 were killed.

The accident was a head-on collision caused by a driver's error. The inexperienced driver of a parcels train misunderstood the complicated signalling installation in the station and went too far past a signal which only allowed him to proceed a limited distance forward. His engine fouled the main line and was run into by an excursion train at about 45 mph. Two carriages of the excursion train "concertina'd" or "telescoped" and all the deaths occurred in these carriages; demonstrating structural defficiencies common to most passenger stock at the time. This was a terrible tragedy and should always be remembered.

Further details may be found in a number of books on British railway accidents e.g. those by Rolt and Hamilton.

Coordinates: 54°31′04″N 1°32′48″W / 54.5178°N 1.54677°W / 54.5178; -1.54677