Goomuin's Survival Guide: Train Accidents

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Goomuin
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Sometimes when I'm bored, I create scenarios in my head of what could happen and how to deal with it. I thought it would be a good idea to share them so others might also have an idea to survive certain accidents :dummy:

As I travel by train quite a lot, I imagined some scenarios of all kind of things that could go wrong, and how to possibly survive them. Be warned though, I never had the chance to find out if these will actually work, for obvious reasons.

Accidents while being on a train

Collisions
Although it happens rarely, it can happen that your train is going to collide with another train which is on the same track, but is riding in straight into the train your in. You know, something like this:

Train Collision in Buizingen, Belgium, in 2010. One of the trains landed on the wrong track due to a faulty signal, although it's still not sure if that's the true reason of the collision

To get a higher chance of surviving these kind of collisions, here are my hypotheses on how to do so:
  • If you're sitting in front of the train, you'll probably hear the train driver honk the horn vigorously if a train is homing in, or see the other train coming to you if you look outside the window. If you hear and/or see that, get up and run as far to the back of the train as possible. if the other train is going to ram your train at high speed, your chances at surviving in the first rail car is very slim. Be careful not to trip though, as the train driver will probably use the emergency brake. Make sure to alert other people as well.
  • If you're siting somewhere in the middle of the train, make sure not to sit on the seats with a table in front of it. The force of the collision can make those tables back-and-rib-breakers.
  • Your safest bet will be to sit at the end of the train, but that spot isn't always safe either...
Sometimes it can also happen that a train behind your train is somehow faster than it should and ram the train from behind...and that sounded wrong.
In that case you should actually do the opposite than what I said before. Luckily, these kind of collisions are extremely rare.

Collisions with cars and trucks on level crossings don't create a lot of damage to the train itself, so you will probably survive that. If you're on that train, that is.

Hijacking
With the security standards of today, train hijacks are also very rare, but if this happens, here's what to do:
  • If they want your money, just give it. Your life is worth so much more than just a few numbers.
  • Hide in the toilet, if possible.
  • Don't anger the hijackers. They probably have weapons.
  • Call the emergency hotline. Here's a list of emergency numbers from every country en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergenc…
  • If you're brave enough and have some martial art skills, master and disarm the hijackers
  • Trying to escape the train is probably not really an option, you'll probably risk your life even more if you tried to escape
Fights
As humans are still animals, fights cannot be excluded from accidents that can happen on a train, more commonly with someone who doesn't have a train ticket and the conductor. The tips are actually useful for small fights on any location
  • If you're not that strong, you should probably stay away from it
  • Try to separate the people in conflict. More people helping you is advised
  • Call an emergency number, make sure to say on which train you are.
Accidents around the train tracks

Fallen on the tracks
Train stations are busy places and some people don't care about what they bump into. Or some people push you from the platform, straight on the rails. It's actually easy to survive this... if you act fast.
  • When no trains are arriving at the station any time soon, try to get back up on the platform. Some platforms have little stairs every few meters to get back up. At both end of the platforms are mostly areas to get back on the platform as well.
  • When there is a train coming, try to do the same thing, but faster. Don't run in the direction of the train, but run away from it.
  • Do not stand still, especially like this
  • If the train can't stop on time and there is enough room for a person between the rails and the bottom of the train, lay down between the rails. The bottom of the train is usually high enough for a person to hide under it in certain countries. ...Unless, of course, this thing is attached at the front of it

Choo choo, motherfucker
  • If a train is coming but the other track has no incoming train, get to that one and climb to safety on the other platform. Be very careful before you do this.
  • Always make sure the train driver actually sees you. Be aware though, it takes a long time before a train slows down to a full stop.
Level/railroad crossings
I personally don't understand how you can cause an accident on a level crossing, as red flashing lights, loud bells and barriers are an obvious sign that you should stop before the tracks for an incoming train. But if you somehow are stuck on a level crossing, here's what to do:
  • If you're unlucky enough to have a car malfunction right on a level crossing there are two scenarios possible: 
    • If there is no warning of an incoming train, get the car away from the tracks by pushing it. Watch out for the gaps by the tracks though.
    • If there is a train coming, get out of your car and run away from it. Your life is more important than your car.
  • If you walk or bike across a level crossing which is obviously warning you about an incoming train. Rethink your life. You really can wait a few minutes. it may seem that the incoming train is very slow, but that's a very tricky illusion.
  • Make sure no car stops in front of you behind a level crossing. You really don't want to stop on the tracks.
  • If you see something on the tracks, make sure to stay away from the level crossing as far as possible. The larger the object is, the more debris it will shatter across, possible mowing down some signals, electric cables and other cars with it. Like this:

Oh my God indeed.



I have no idea how useful these tips are, but hopefully you can use these tips to avoid any of these near-deaths:


Trains are amazing, but still very dangerous. Don't risk you life to save just a few minutes. Don't walk over rails to get to the other platform, always wait until the level crossing is safe to pass.

-Goomuin
© 2014 - 2024 Goomuin
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kanyiko's avatar
kanyiko
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I've actually had a talk with some train drivers and train maintenance men, and they managed to debunk some of your suggestions:

  • If you're sitting in front of the train, you'll probably hear the train driver honk the horn vigorously if a train is homing in, or see the other train coming to you if you look outside the window. If you hear and/or see that, get up and run as far to the back of the train as possible. if the other train is going to ram your train at high speed, your chances at surviving in the first rail car is very slim. Be careful not to trip though, as the train driver will probably use the emergency brake. Make sure to alert other people as well.
Status: debunked.
- A modern train can brake with an emergency deceleration of - 3m/s, which translates to 3G. In effect, it would make it impossible for you to stand up, less even to run to the back, as the force of the train braking actually pushes on you with an equivalent of three times your own body weight.
- Secondly: unless you're sitting in the front of a unit and the driver has left his driver door open, it would be impossible for you to see an oncoming collision.
- Lastly: You are better sitting down than standing upright in case of a crash.  If you are standing upright, you have a higher chance of getting injured or killed in a collision than if you remain seated.

  • If you're siting somewhere in the middle of the train, make sure not to sit on the seats with a table in front of it. The force of the collision can make those tables back-and-rib-breakers.
Status: good point.  Those tables can cause some injuries.

  • Your safest bet will be to sit at the end of the train, but that spot isn't always safe either...
Status: debunked.  It depends on the kind of accident.
For instance, the Eschede train disaster which took place on June 3rd 1998 saw the accident train derail.  The ensuing accident destroyed the rear part of the train; most of the passengers in the first four cars came out of the accident unscathed, while almost everybody in the middle part of the train was killed, and those in the rear of the train were either killed or severely injured.
Another example is the accident at Luttre on August 15th 1974, which involved a coupled train of four two-car units. It derailed on a section of rail that was badly maintained; the first two-car unit (160) derailed but remained upright, and only minor injuries were sustained in this.  The second two-car unit (021) went out of the rails: its front part was dragged along by 160 but managed to remain upright; however its rear part decoupled and fell of the railway embankment, catching fire.  The third (028)  and fourth (012) units were less lucky; derailed as they were, they smashed right into a bridge, killing and injuring most of their occupants.  Images of said accident can be found here

Sometimes it can also happen that a train behind your train is somehow faster than it should and ram the train from behind...and that sounded wrong.
In that case you should actually do the opposite than what I said before. Luckily, these kind of collisions are extremely rare.

Status: ... basically true.  Such accidents remain rare.  However, you would still have barely enough warning to take evasive action.

Collisions with cars and trucks on level crossings don't create a lot of damage to the train itself, so you will probably survive that. If you're on that train, that is.

Status: false.  Railway crossing accidents can be violent affairs, in the worst case causing severe damage to the train.
An example of this was the Ufton Nervet railway disaster on November 6th 2004, where a car that had halted on a railway crossing was caught by a train, and caused the train to derail.  In all, the driver of the car, driver of the train, and five passengers on the train were killed.
The most famous such accident in recent times, though, was the Great Heck rail disaster of February 21st 2001, when the driver of a Land Rover fell asleep behind the wheel and ran off a highway embankment right onto railway tracks.  While the driver escaped, an oncoming train hit the wreck and derailed, unfortunately causing the train to derail right into the path of an oncoming freight train, resulting in 10 killed and 82 injured.