Fiesch derailment

Fiesch derailment

Location of the derailment in Switzerland
Date 23 July 2010
Location Fiesch
Country Switzerland
Operator Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
Type of incident derailment
Statistics
Trains 1
Deaths 1
Injuries 40

The Fiesch derailment occurred on Friday 23 July 2010, at 11:50 CET[1] when a Glacier Express train, from Zermatt heading towards St. Moritz, derailed at low speed between the cities of Lax and Fiesch, Canton Valais, Switzerland.

Two rear panorama cars were overturned while a third car derailed but remained on the track.[2]

A 64-year-old Japanese woman was killed and a total of 42 people were injured and taken to hospital. The day after the accident 17 persons (16 Japanese, 1 Spanish) were still in hospital care.[2]

The cause of the accident was blamed on human error in that the driver was going too fast.[3] Traffic resumed on Sunday 25 July after repair and the railway had been declared safe by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (operator of the Glacier Express).[4]

On 7 March 2011, it was announced that the engineer of the train at the time of its crash had been convicted of homicide and negligence, and would face a fine of 15,000 Swiss francs.[5]

The Investigation Bureau for Railway, Funicular and Boat Accidents investigated the accident.

References

  1. ↑ "Woman dies in Swiss train accident". Japan Times. 25 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Railway lines in the Valais passable again". NZZ Online. 25 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  3. ↑ "Driver error to blame for Glacier Express crash". Euronews. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "Glacier Express: Line tested – operations running to schedule" (PDF). Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  5. ↑ "Engineer convicted in fatal Swiss crash". Trains Magazine. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.

External links

Coordinates: 46°24′11″N 8°07′58″E / 46.403007°N 8.132672°E / 46.403007; 8.132672

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