How Many Train Deaths Are There Each Year?

Question

I am doing a school project, and have to pretend i am writing a letter to the editor of a news paper and i needed to know how many people die from train crashes, or if people get hit by trains when they go through the closing boom gates? any type of information concerning deaths and trains is wanted.

Answers are much appreciated :)

Answer 1

In the US, very few people die from train crashes. The average passenger train derailment will only result in about 1-5 deaths, although there will be plenty of injuries to go around. A freight train derailment might kill the crew, or it might not.

Thousands of people drive around the crossing gates each year, thousands more walk on train tracks. Maybe about 400-500 people a year die from trespassing on railroad property or driving under the gates.

Also, there have been several recent incidents where remote control locomotives runaway and hit a worker who wasnt doing anything wrong.

Answer 2

Check out The Office of the Rail Regulator for the most accurate and up to date statistics for the Rail Industry in the UK

http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk

You can also search for HSE Railways annual reports will give details

http://www.trackoff.org/pdf/HSE%20Annual...

Answer 3

All over the World? In the US? In England? Australia?

If you told us where you are, maybe you'd get an answer.

Answer 4

They seem to do strange and weird school projects these days.

Answer 5

There really isnt many Passenger trains that crash.  but even from that there isnt very many passenger deaths.  If someone goes under the blinking lights and get hit, theres a very good chance they wont make it out alive.

Answer 6

Sadly, the answer is "too many."

Passenger train wrecks are infrequent, but can cause a great loss of life when they do occur.

The majority of people seriously injured or killed are victims of their own stupidity or lack of awareness.  In North America, someone is killed or maimed every 18 seconds.  Do the math for a period of 365 days to find your numbers.

Sadder still, 99.99% need not have happened.  I have said it before.  Trains don't go looking for people to kill.  People are the only ones who can prevent the carnage.  It is quite simple.

If you don't absolutely have to be near any train tracks or cross them in your car, stay out of the way.  When you must do either of the two:

Stop, Look, Listen and Live.

Answer 7

to many .- NYC Transit employee.

Answer 8

This should help

Answer 9

in my time of being in the industry as you see i am a flag attendant who takes care of all work teams on and about the rail it is my job to warn the team i am protecting if and when a train is approaching to avoid them getting ran over as trains normally take a while to slow down so they can clear the rail in enough time to get clear. As for cars racing trains through crossings it is almost impossible to stop them because people don't underestimate the speed of a train due to it's size and length hense the reason a fair few people will be killed by trains going through level crossing when a train is approaching at rail speed. Here in australia we have the 10 meter rule as when you are walking infront of a stationary train you must pass 10 meters in front of it or of the rear wagon just so if it does move you lessen the chance of being serously injured by the train. there are now alot of safety protocols in place to stop people being hit by trains but it is up to commom sence to let the train proceed through the level crossing and only pass through designated crossing points to cross the rail safely and not just cross the rail anywhere as you are stepping on private property and can get killed. i hope this helps you as there is a lot of info if you need any more answers go into your local rail yard and just ask the questions because they are always happy to help in any way

Answer 10

The short answer is that all the people who die are dead.

Answer 11

Too Many unfortunatley, most of them are from Trespassers, Drunks and Depressed people commiting suicide.

As a Railway Union Health and Safety Rep, it can be very depressing looking at the figures. Just on the Southern Network, you could be looking at an average of at least 1 a month, but for instance not long ago we had 2 in the same day.

If you was to say that 1 a month per TOC was an average, then you could be looking at almost 50 a month. So almost 600 a year. Each of them unless something nasty happens and hits the headlines would be unreported to the general public.

As for the question on Boom Gates? Not sure what you mean? Level Crossings?? If so, not many. Again Death through this means is perhaps 1 a year throughout the UK if that, all depends what the people are doing inside the car. The incidents of cars passing in front of trains at Automatic Half Barriers (AHB) and un barriered crossings is on the increase at the moment and luckily there has only been a couple of accidents lately which have appeared in the news.

Unfortunatley, people forget that the Railway is a very dangerous enviroment.

Anyway I hope this helps you a little.