Curinga train disaster
Encyclopedia
The Curinga train disaster, also known as the Lamezia Terme train disaster, was railway accident occurred on November 21 1980 between Curinga
and Eccellente stations, in the Catanzaro province, Italy
.
Initial body count was estimated in 10 dead and 80 injured, later updated to 20 and 122 respectively . The final count went up to 29 victims and 104 wounded.
Ferrovie dello Stato
train 587 was traveling southbound from Rome
to Siracusa on the Salerno
-Reggio Calabria
railway. At 2.40 a.m., shortly after leaving Lamezia Terme
station and heading to Paola, rammed into some loaded cars lost by freight train
40679, a 41-cars convoy from the same operator leaving Lamezia Terme
for Reggio Calabria
.
The freight train had crossed Eccellente station without anyone noticing it lost 28 of its cars and was missing its tail lights, and later stopped at Vibo Pizzo station understanding something went wrong. The boxcars got detached from the convoy at kilometer 266+200, when a clamp broke and set the boxcars free. The runaway cars came to a stop on the tracks.
Train 587 driver tried to brake at the last moment, but the train was traveling at 120km/h and could not possibly be stopped in less than 1000 meters. Being in a dark night and the runaway cars missing their tail lights (electricity is provided by the engine), the available distance was way too short to stop the passenger train. The passenger train hit the cars and derailed
, four of its coaches swerving on the northbound track.
Despite the severity of the accident, the derailment most probably caused only injuries. Before the train conductor could call for an emergency, a second passenger train, Espresso 588 (the same passenger service, but traveling northbound toward Salerno
) crashed on the derailed 587s engine at over 60 km/h. The first four coaches of the 588 train derailed and tumbled into an escarpment
. Some of the southbound train's coaches were crushed or broken by the impact.
rescue teams were dispatched from Vibo Valentia
, Lamezia Terme
and Catanzaro, along with Polizia di Stato
, Guardia di Finanza
and Carabinieri
. Railway crews immediately begun to remove and dismantle the damaged coaches, in order to allow recover of the wounded trapped in the wreck, aided by the security forces personnel.
Hospitals in Lamezia, Vibo and Catanzaro were overrun by the medical emergency, but ultimately managed to sustain the pressure thanks to help from Soveria Mannelli
and Tropea
clinics taking over medical assistance for patients with less severe wounds.
The rescue operations took two full days, allowing regular service since November 24.
The accident news coverage was short, since just two days later country newspaper's attention was diverted to the tragic Irpinia earthquake.
Engine FS Class E656
.075 was demolished in July 1983, the first in its class to be written off. FS Class E656.280 demolished a few days later.
or corrosion damage, so a failure is accounted as an possibilty. In case of a clamp failure the loss of a train section breaks off the pneumatic brake circuit: lack of pressure engages emergency brakes on both parts of the convoy and alert the engineers.
Apparently the brake emergency system worked fine, but with the engine at full throttle and the train much lighter than expected the engineer didn't notice the emergency and the head of the train failed to stop.
Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the freight train drivers, the Eccellente stationmaster and a railwayman with involuntary manslaughter
, for failing to notice the loss of the boxcars. Ultimately, station personnel was deemed guilty, not having followed proper procedures.
An early technical survey showed that maintenance status of the rolling stock was fair, track infrastructure was good and adequate to current safety standards. The semi-automatic block signaling was active at the moment, but that system required a routine check of passing trains to be done by station personnel. The rule was well known and officially enforced at the time. Fully automatic block control would have avoided the tragedy (flashing a red light at the passenger train), but up until 1990s was installed only on high capacity main lines (about 1/8 of the total network).
Curinga
Curinga is a town and comune in the province of Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-1980 train crash:On November 21, 1980, a Rome-Syracuse passenger train hit the cars of a freight train from Catania, killing 20 people and injuring 112....
and Eccellente stations, in the Catanzaro province, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Initial body count was estimated in 10 dead and 80 injured, later updated to 20 and 122 respectively . The final count went up to 29 victims and 104 wounded.
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato is a government-owned holding which manage infrastructure and service on the Italian rail network. The subsidiary Trenitalia is the main rail operator in Italy.-Organization:Ferrovie dello Stato subsidiaries are:...
train 587 was traveling southbound from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to Siracusa on the Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
-Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
railway. At 2.40 a.m., shortly after leaving Lamezia Terme
Lamezia Terme
Lamezia Terme, commonly named Lamezia, is an Italian city of 71,287 inhabitants in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region.-Geography:...
station and heading to Paola, rammed into some loaded cars lost by freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
40679, a 41-cars convoy from the same operator leaving Lamezia Terme
Lamezia Terme
Lamezia Terme, commonly named Lamezia, is an Italian city of 71,287 inhabitants in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region.-Geography:...
for Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
.
The freight train had crossed Eccellente station without anyone noticing it lost 28 of its cars and was missing its tail lights, and later stopped at Vibo Pizzo station understanding something went wrong. The boxcars got detached from the convoy at kilometer 266+200, when a clamp broke and set the boxcars free. The runaway cars came to a stop on the tracks.
Train 587 driver tried to brake at the last moment, but the train was traveling at 120km/h and could not possibly be stopped in less than 1000 meters. Being in a dark night and the runaway cars missing their tail lights (electricity is provided by the engine), the available distance was way too short to stop the passenger train. The passenger train hit the cars and derailed
Derailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
, four of its coaches swerving on the northbound track.
Despite the severity of the accident, the derailment most probably caused only injuries. Before the train conductor could call for an emergency, a second passenger train, Espresso 588 (the same passenger service, but traveling northbound toward Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
) crashed on the derailed 587s engine at over 60 km/h. The first four coaches of the 588 train derailed and tumbled into an escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
. Some of the southbound train's coaches were crushed or broken by the impact.
First response
Vigili del FuocoVigili del Fuoco
The Vigili del Fuoco, literally the Fire Watch, is Italy's institutional agency for fire and rescue service...
rescue teams were dispatched from Vibo Valentia
Vibo Valentia
Vibo Valentia is a city and comune in the Calabria region of southern Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital of the province of Vibo Valentia, and is an agricultural, commercial and tourist center . There are also several large manufacturing industries, including the tuna district of...
, Lamezia Terme
Lamezia Terme
Lamezia Terme, commonly named Lamezia, is an Italian city of 71,287 inhabitants in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region.-Geography:...
and Catanzaro, along with Polizia di Stato
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
, Guardia di Finanza
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
and Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
. Railway crews immediately begun to remove and dismantle the damaged coaches, in order to allow recover of the wounded trapped in the wreck, aided by the security forces personnel.
Hospitals in Lamezia, Vibo and Catanzaro were overrun by the medical emergency, but ultimately managed to sustain the pressure thanks to help from Soveria Mannelli
Soveria Mannelli
Soveria Mannelli is a town and comune in the province of Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:The town is bordered by Bianchi , Carlopoli, Colosimi, Decollatura, Gimigliano, Pedivigliano.-History:...
and Tropea
Tropea
Tropea is a municipality located within the province of Vibo Valentia, in Calabria .The town is a famous bathing place, situated on a reef, in the gulf of St...
clinics taking over medical assistance for patients with less severe wounds.
The rescue operations took two full days, allowing regular service since November 24.
The accident news coverage was short, since just two days later country newspaper's attention was diverted to the tragic Irpinia earthquake.
Engine FS Class E656
FS Class E656
The Class E656 is an Italian articulated rheostatic-type electric locomotive built from 1973 to 1989. An evolution of the E646/5, they are all-purpose locomotives, and have been used on every kind of train, ranging from freight to intercity passenger trasport.The E656 is nicknamed "Caimano" .-...
.075 was demolished in July 1983, the first in its class to be written off. FS Class E656.280 demolished a few days later.
Causes
A broken clamp is an unusual but not unheard of event. Steel clamps sometimes experience fatigueFatigue
Fatigue may refer to:*Fatigue , structural damage from repeated loading*Fatigue , a state of physical and/or mental weakness*Fatigue , safety implications of tiredness...
or corrosion damage, so a failure is accounted as an possibilty. In case of a clamp failure the loss of a train section breaks off the pneumatic brake circuit: lack of pressure engages emergency brakes on both parts of the convoy and alert the engineers.
Apparently the brake emergency system worked fine, but with the engine at full throttle and the train much lighter than expected the engineer didn't notice the emergency and the head of the train failed to stop.
Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the freight train drivers, the Eccellente stationmaster and a railwayman with involuntary manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
, for failing to notice the loss of the boxcars. Ultimately, station personnel was deemed guilty, not having followed proper procedures.
An early technical survey showed that maintenance status of the rolling stock was fair, track infrastructure was good and adequate to current safety standards. The semi-automatic block signaling was active at the moment, but that system required a routine check of passing trains to be done by station personnel. The rule was well known and officially enforced at the time. Fully automatic block control would have avoided the tragedy (flashing a red light at the passenger train), but up until 1990s was installed only on high capacity main lines (about 1/8 of the total network).