Mikawashima train crash
Encyclopedia
The Mikawashima train crash was a multiple train crash which occurred on 3 May 1962 near Mikawashima Station
in Arakawa, Tokyo
. It involved a freight train and two passenger trains; 160 people were killed.
-bound freight train (#287) was approaching to join the main Jōban Line
at Mikawashima Station
and missed the red signal. A fail-safe mechanism diverted the freight train onto a safety siding, preventing a devastating head-on collision, however the freight train was travelling too fast and derailed in the siding, leaving the locomotive and leading tanker-wagon fouling the main line.
from Ueno
left Mikawashima station also at 21:36, and, although it avoided a head-on collision, struck the derailed freight train; resulting in 25 injuries. The passengers used the emergency escape handles and started walking back to the station. The operators in the nearby signal box were too busy dealing with the aftermath of the first collision and failed to notify other traffic on the line.
system to stop trains automatically if they should pass a red signal was introduced to all JNR lines by April 1966.
Mikawashima Station
is a train station on the Jōban Line in Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan.-Accident:On 3 May 1962, there was a crash between a freight train and two passenger trains which resulted in 160 deaths and 296 injuries...
in Arakawa, Tokyo
Arakawa, Tokyo
is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. The ward takes its name from the river, the Arakawa, though the Arakawa River does not run through or touch the ward. Its neighbors are the wards of Adachi, Kita, Bunkyo, Taito and Sumida. In English, the ward calls itself Arakawa City.Arakawa has...
. It involved a freight train and two passenger trains; 160 people were killed.
First train
At 21:36 a MitoMito Station (Ibaraki)
is a JR East and Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo railway station located in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan.-JR East:* Jōban Line* Suigun Line-Station layout:The station consists of four island platforms serving eight tracks.-History:...
-bound freight train (#287) was approaching to join the main Jōban Line
Joban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It begins at Nippori Station in Taitō, Tokyo and follows the Pacific coasts of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi...
at Mikawashima Station
Mikawashima Station
is a train station on the Jōban Line in Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan.-Accident:On 3 May 1962, there was a crash between a freight train and two passenger trains which resulted in 160 deaths and 296 injuries...
and missed the red signal. A fail-safe mechanism diverted the freight train onto a safety siding, preventing a devastating head-on collision, however the freight train was travelling too fast and derailed in the siding, leaving the locomotive and leading tanker-wagon fouling the main line.
Second train
A seven-carriage passenger train (2117H) bound for TorideToride Station
is a train station located in Toride, Ibaraki, Japan.-Platforms:-Adjacent stations:-2010 knife attack:A Japanese man, identified as 27-year old, was arrested after stabbing 14 people outside of the west entrance of Toride Station on the morning of December 17, 2010...
from Ueno
Ueno Station
is a major railway station inTokyo's Taitō ward. It is the station used to reach the Ueno district and Ueno Park -- which contains Tokyo National Museum, The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and other famous cultural facilities...
left Mikawashima station also at 21:36, and, although it avoided a head-on collision, struck the derailed freight train; resulting in 25 injuries. The passengers used the emergency escape handles and started walking back to the station. The operators in the nearby signal box were too busy dealing with the aftermath of the first collision and failed to notify other traffic on the line.
Third train
Six minutes after the first collision, an incoming passenger train (2000H) collided with the derailed 2117H and hit many of the passengers escaping from the first collision. The first carriage was smashed and the next three derailed, resulting in 160 deaths and 296 injuries.Response
As a result of the accident, JNR changed its operational policy from "do not stop trains unless absolutely necessary" to "stop trains as soon as an accident happens regardless of its scale." An Automatic train stopAutomatic Train Stop
An automatic train stop is a system on a train that will automatically stop a train if certain situations happened to prevent accidents from happening....
system to stop trains automatically if they should pass a red signal was introduced to all JNR lines by April 1966.