Railway disasters always lead to dire consequences. And, unfortunately, Russia, like other countries, has repeatedly experienced the truthfulness of this statement. Her story can recall more than a dozen disasters that occurred on the railway tracks.
Mountains of torn metal and thousands of shed tears - that is what remains after such tragedies. And also, the incomprehensible sadness of mothers and wives whose loved ones were taken away by an inexorable fate. Almost all railway accidents and catastrophes filled with it. Therefore, let us recall the biggest tragedies that occurred on the territory of the USSR and Russia in order to honor the memory of those who died in them.
Danger hidden in progress
When the first trains arrived, no one thought about how terrible railroad disasters could be. And even after the first uncontrolled diesel locomotive took the lives of 16 people in Philadelphia in 1815, the world said: "Well, what can you do, sometimes it happens."
Indeed, today it is difficult to overestimate the benefits that trains bring to our lives. Indeed, thanks to them, trips to even the farthest corners of Russia no longer seem so incredible and long as before. Nevertheless, one should never forget that progress brings not only good, but also destruction. And the stories described below are direct proof of this.
The first railway disasters in the USSR
1930 was a real horror for railway workers. The reason for this is two major accidents that occurred in it. Subsequently, many residents of the country began to be afraid to use the services of "steam drivers", choosing more reliable means of transportation.
So, the first accident occurred on the night of September 7-8 in the suburbs. Passenger train No. 34 arrived at Pererve station, near the village of Maryino. Machinist Makarov, the driver of the steam locomotive, immediately warned the station authorities that his train had been damaged and had already stopped several times in order to correct the problems.
Makarov proposed replacing his diesel locomotive with another in order to avoid possible troubles. However, his request was not fulfilled. Instead, they were given an extra steam locomotive to help him, which was to insure him on the way. Unfortunately, such a solution not only exacerbated the existing problem, but also led to tragic consequences.
So, when trying to move off, the reinforced locomotive tore all the connections between the cab and the passenger train. As a result, the engine went forward, and the wagons remained standing still. And all would be fine if the dispatcher had not given a premature order to another train to arrive on the platform.
And now the next passenger train is racing towards the platform. Only a few meters from the station, the driver notices the passenger cars standing in his way. Even emergency braking did not help stop the train in time. Subsequently, more than 40 people were injured in the collision, and 13 were killed on the spot.
Train collision with tram
In the same year, another tragedy happened in St. Petersburg. On a railway passage, near the Moscow Gate, a freight train, passing back, hit a passing tram. From the blow, the last carriage came off and fell straight to the passenger part. Alas, by the time the firefighters arrived, most people had already died.
Like other railway accidents, this one happened due to an absurd set of circumstances. After all, as the investigation showed, on that day the control center suddenly stopped working, the workers who serviced the tracks did not have time to turn the arrows on time, and the tram driver noticed the imminent threat too late.
And such an absurd combination of circumstances claimed 28 lives, and 19 surviving passengers never again used the services of public transport.
The Great Railroad Accidents of the Post-War Time
The end of the war brought peace to the Soviet Union. New cities and towns began to be built everywhere, and the first conquerors of Siberia set off on their entertaining journey along the snowy edge. Millions of kilometers of roads have been laid, all over the country.
But the payback for such a leap in progress was large-scale railroad disasters that occurred in the postwar years. And the worst of them happened near the station Drovnino, which is located in the Moscow region.
On August 6, 1952, locomotive No. 438 was to deliver its passengers to Moscow. However, at about 2 o’clock in the morning he ran into a horse that was crossing railway tracks. Despite the low weight of the animal, the locomotive went off the rails and pulled the entire train.
Cars one by one went downhill, crushing each other with their weight. When rescuers arrived at the crash site, they saw mountains of crumpled metal, which buried a third of passengers underneath. And those who survived for a long time moved away from the injuries received during the accident.
According to official data, the railway accident in Drovnino led to the death of 109, 211 people were injured. For a long time this incident was considered the largest train wreck in the USSR, until it was eclipsed by even greater grief.
1989 Railway Crash
As mentioned earlier, the cause of many tragedies is an incredible combination of circumstances. If not for them, then perhaps the world would never have felt the pain that the railway accident near Ufa (1989) brought with it.
It all began on June 4, 1989 with a gas leak 10 kilometers from the city of Auchan. She was caused by a small hole in the pipeline, which opened 40 minutes before the tragedy. It is regrettable, but the gas company knew about it, since the devices had previously shown a pressure jump in the pipes. However, instead of shutting off the supply of blue fuel, they only increased its pressure.
Because of this, explosive condensate began to accumulate near the railway tracks. And when at 01:15 (local time) two passenger trains passed here, he detonated. The explosion was so strong that it scattered the wagons throughout the district, as if they did not weigh anything. But, even worse, the condensate-soaked land burned like a torch.
The terrible consequences of the disaster near Ufa
Even the residents of Asha, located 11 kilometers from the scene of the event, could feel the destructive power of the explosion. A huge column of fire illuminated the night sky, and many even thought that a rocket had fallen there. And even if it was just an absurd guess, the reality was no less terrifying.
When the first rescuers arrived at the crash site, they saw the blazing earth and the train cars burned to the ground. But the worst thing was to hear the voices of those who could not get out of the fiery trap. Their prayers and tears for many years haunted the rescuers at night.
As a result, even the largest railway disasters in the world seemed insignificant in comparison with this tragedy. After all, about 600 people died from fire and burns, the same received serious injuries. Until now, this catastrophe responds to pain in the hearts of people who have lost their relatives and friends in it.
Accidents on the railway in the 90s
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, railway accidents in Russia did not stop. In particular, in 1992 there were two major tragedies that claimed many human lives.
The first accident occurred in early March, on the section Velikiye Luki - Rzhev. Due to the great frost, the train warning system refused, and the two trains simply did not know about approaching each other. As a result, a passenger locomotive crashed into the tail of a freight carrier standing at the crossing. As a result, 43 people will never be able to see their family, and more than 100 were left with serious injuries.
In the same month, the passenger train Riga - Moscow, ignoring the forbidding traffic light, collided with a freight train. A frontal blow claimed the lives of 43 people, including the drivers of both diesel locomotives.
The tragedies of the new millennium
It is sad, but progress cannot yet protect passengers from risk. Railway disasters in Russia even occur today, despite a global improvement in the security system.
So, on July 15, 2014, another tragedy happened in the Moscow Metro. At the railway crossing Park Victory - Slavyanskiy Boulevard, an electric train carrying passengers was off the rails. As a result, 24 people died, and more than 200 were injured.