A look at some of Europe’s recent rail disasters

Head-on collision of passenger and freight trains in Greece killed dozens of people and injured many more. Railway crossing in Europe is common and relatively accessible and convenient for many Europeans.

It also has a good overall safety record, having been safer in recent years. However, the tragedy in Greece is a reminder of how deadly accidents can be when they do happen. Here’s a look at some of the deadliest train crashes in recent years.

FIREFIRE FUNCULAR

In November 2000, the funicular cable car caught fire in a mountain tunnel in Kaprun. Austria, 155 people died. The dead are skiers and snowboarders who were heading to the slopes of Mount Kitzsteinhorn.

A HIGH-SPEED TRAIN HITS A BRIDGE

In June 1998, a high-speed train traveling at 200 kilometers per hour (125 miles per hour) collided with a bridge in Eschede, Germanycausing it to collapse, the disaster killed 101 people and injured over 100. It was Germany’s deadliest post-war rail disaster.

SPANISH COUNTRY TRAIN

In July 2013, a commuter train derailed on the curves near the NW Spanish in the city of Santiago de Compostela, 80 people died and 145 were injured. An investigation revealed that the train was traveling at 179 kilometers per hour (111 mph) on a section with a speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph) when it derailed and hit a wall. In October, the case was finally brought to court, where the driver and the former director of railway security were charged with professional negligence. A verdict is expected in the coming months.

SPANISH METRO TRAIN

In July 2006, a speeding subway train crashed into an underground tunnel in the eastern city of Valencia, killing 43 people and injuring several others. It took a court 13 years to find four city metro managers guilty of manslaughter for failing to take the necessary safety measures to prevent the tragedy.

THE TRAIN IS SMOKING IN THE RIVER

In January 2006, the failure of the train’s braking system caused it to derail and plunge into a ravine near the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica. As a result of the disaster, 45 people died, including five children, and another 184 were injured. It was the worst railway disaster in the history of Montenegro.

EXPLOSION AT THE STATION

In 2009, a freight train carrying gas derailed at Viareggio station, near the Tuscan city of Lucca, and exploded, killing 32 people. They blamed the poor maintenance of the train’s axles.

HEAD-ON ACCIDENT IN LONDON

Britain’s worst rail accident in 30 years occurred in October 1999, when a train heading from London’s Paddington Station ran through a red light and crashed into an oncoming high-speed train, killing 31 people. About 400 people were injured.

GARDEN TRAINS QUARTERS

In July 2016, two Italian commuter trains collided late in the morning between cities in the southern region of Puglia, killing 31 people and injuring several others. An investigation revealed a communication error between the stations from which each train departed.

ACCIDENT AT RUSH HOUR NEAR BRUSSELS

On February 15, 2010, two commuter trains collided near Brussels during the morning rush hour when one ran a red light. A total of 19 people died and 171 were injured in the country’s biggest railway accident. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that a similar accident at a red light had occurred several years earlier and that promises to introduce safety measures had not been fully implemented.