Contich railway accident
In the Contich railway accident on May 21, 1908 in Contich , Belgium , an express train ran into a passenger train waiting to be overhauled . 40 people died.
Starting position
The express train was on its way from Antwerp to Brussels . A passenger train that was on its way to Turnhout drove to a siding at Contich station to let the express train overtake. At the end of this train, 3rd class cars , older designs, which were mainly made of wood, ran. The signal box was just being repaired in the station, for which parts also had to be removed so that individual points could no longer be set from there. This also applied to the entrance switch for the overtaking track. It was operated by a worker on site on the instructions of the signalman.
the accident
After the passenger train was on the overtaking track, the switch was either no longer changed or - after that had happened - it was moved again in the other direction. When the express train passed Contich station, it was directed onto the platform where the passenger train was waiting. He drove it open from behind and the cars at the end of the passenger train were badly damaged. 40 people died in the railway accident , and more than 100 were injured.
literature
- Peter WB Semmens: Disasters on the rails. A worldwide documentation. Transpress, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-344-71030-3 .