Derailment

A derailment occurs when a vehicle such as a train runs off its rails. This does not necessarily mean that it leaves its track. Although many derailments are minor, all result in temporary disruption of the proper operation of the railway system, and they are potentially seriously hazardous to human health and safety. Usually, the derailment of a train can be caused by a collision with another object, an operational error, the mechanical failure of tracks, such as broken rails, or the mechanical failure of the wheels. In emergency situations, deliberate derailment with derails or catch points is sometimes used to prevent a more serious accident. Railroad wrecks in the 19th century were sensational, and the newspapers claimed them to be due to human failure or the consequence of corporate greed. It took railroads several decades to improve train-control practices and adopt safety devices sufficient to make railroad travel truly safe. Very few passengers were killed in train wrecks in the US before 1853. The early trains ran slowly and made short trips, night travel was rare, and there were not many of them in operation. While trains were convenient for travel and for transporting goods, they had become a greater danger over the years as their speed had increased. While fatal railway accidents occurred about once a year previously, there was a sudden 800 percent increase in accidents in 1853. Some railroad accidents were caused by human error, but other causes included derailment, explosions on board, equipment failures, and bridge collapses. Thereafter, the rate of accidents returned to its former level.