Rokken railway accident
In the railway accident Rokken ( Jap. 六軒事故 , Rokken jiko ) on 15 October 1956 derailed in the station Rokken at the Sangu Line (now Kisei Main Line ) in Mikumo (now Matsusaka ), Mie Prefecture , in Japan , a Train . Another drove into the scene of the accident . 40 people died.
Starting position
The Sangū Line is a (then still) single-track main line . A passenger train that was on its way to Toba there was pulled by two steam locomotives because of its heavy weight . According to the schedule , he should have passed the Rokken station without stopping. Due to increased traffic, a train crossing was relocated and the train should therefore stop in Rokken unscheduled. The dispatcher set signals and points accordingly. For example, the entrance signal of the station showed "Wait stop", the exit signal "Stop". The latter was also secured by a protective switch that ended in a stump track with a buffer stop that was located in front of a rock wall. The responsible engine driver was assigned to this train several times.
In the opposite direction, another train was on the way to Rokken station.
the accident
When the train to Toba approached Rokken station, the engine driver acted as a matter of routine instead of paying attention to the entry signal: he drove through the station without braking. He only noticed the exit signal that was on “Stop”. He immediately initiated an emergency stop . Due to the heavy weight of the train, also due to the two pre-tensioned steam locomotives, he was unable to bring the train to a stop in time. He ran over the signal showing "Halt", drove into the guard rail, ran over the buffer stop at 27 km / h and against the adjoining rock face. Both locomotives and the three following cars derailed and then blocked the track in the opposite direction. The train, which was traveling in the opposite direction, drove into the rubble at the accident site .
consequences
40 people died and 96 others were injured.
literature
- Masao Saito: Japanese Railway Safety and Technology of the Day . In: Japan Railway and Transport Review 33 (December 2002), pp. 4-13 (9f.). (PDF file; 2.41 MB).
Coordinates: 34 ° 37 ′ 3.1 ″ N , 136 ° 30 ′ 27.4 ″ E