Kamensk-Shakhtinsky railway accident

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The kamensk-shakhtinsky rail disaster was the collision of a heavy locomotive at high speed on a stationary passenger train at the station of kamensk-shakhtinsky ( Soviet Union , now Russia ) on August 7, 1987th

Kamensk-Shakhtinsky station, site of the accident
A triple-coupled locomotive of the ВЛ80 с series , as it ran in front of the freight train

Starting position

The passenger train No. 335, on the way from Rostov-on-Don to Moscow with ten cars, was traveling the line belonging to the Soviet Southeast Railway at the time of the accident (later transferred to the North Caucasian Railway ) in a northerly direction and approached the Kamenskaya station in the city of Kamensk- Schachtinsky.

He was followed on the same track by a 5500-ton freight train with grain from the Kuban region coming from Armavir via Bataisk . It was pulled from Bataisk by a class ВЛ80 с locomotive, which consisted of three units coupled together.

the accident

The staff of the freight train had already noticed a defective brake clutch in front of the Lichaya station, 15 kilometers south of Kamensk- Shakhtinsky (in the Lichowskoi settlement, now part of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky) and therefore closed the shut-off cocks behind the sixth of 55 freight cars . This meant that the rear 49 cars could no longer be braked. In Lichaja, new staff took over the train, but was not informed about the defective braking system. Since the line was very busy, the freight train should follow the passenger train ahead at a short distance. In the rush, a brake test was not carried out or only insufficiently when the train was being dispatched . The driver only noticed on the longer downhill stretch to Kamenskaya, where he could not prevent the gradual acceleration from the permitted 65 km / h to over 100 km / h that the brake was not working. The emergency brake also had no effect. He informed the station staff at the Kamensk-Shakhtinsky station over the train radio .

Since all of the station's tracks were occupied - some with freight wagons loaded with dangerous chemicals - the dispatcher made the decision to let passenger train No. 335 pass without stopping. However, he could not reach the passenger train by radio because the train radio had failed. So the passenger held scheduled moderately at 1:28 PM in the station of kamensk-shakhtinsky. The officer on duty at the platform immediately verbally instructed the engine driver to continue driving. However, this failed because travelers had already started to get off and a train attendant , unaware of the situation , pulled the emergency brake when the train started - in accordance with regulations .

When the freight train passed through the switch connections at the head of the station, the coupling between the car and the locomotive broke. The cars derailed and fell down an embankment. The heavy locomotive remained on the track and hit the end of the passenger train at around 140 km / h. The last three cars were completely smashed.

consequences

Memorial cross for the victims of the accident

106 people died and about 100 others were injured. A worker was electrocuted while cleaning up.

The two railway workers who had to carry out the last brake test on the freight train were each sentenced to twelve years in prison in the subsequent criminal proceedings .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ NN: Soviet Train Mechanics Sentenced for 1987 Wreck. In: Los Angeles Times v. November 18, 1988.

Coordinates: 48 ° 19 ′ 18.2 "  N , 40 ° 15 ′ 29.7"  E