Brétigny-sur-Orge train crash facts for kids
On 12 July 2013, a train crash happened at Brétigny railway station in Brétigny-sur-Orge, France. This town is about 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Paris. The train was traveling from Paris to Limoges. Sadly, six people lost their lives in the accident. Many others were hurt, and some were seriously injured. There were 385 passengers on the train. The crash happened at 5:14 PM local time. The train was not supposed to stop at Brétigny station. It was a very busy day at the station because it was the Friday before the Bastille Day holiday weekend.
The train was moving at high speed when it crashed. It split into two parts after some of its cars came off the tracks. The back four cars crashed into the station platforms. This accident was the most serious train crash in France since 1988.
Contents
The Brétigny Train Crash
The train involved was a service heading from Gare d'Austerlitz in Paris to Limoges. It had left Paris at 4:53 PM. If it had been on time, it would have reached Limoges by 8:05 PM. The crash happened just 22 minutes after it left Paris.
Why Did It Happen?
The French Land Transport Accident Investigation Bureau (BEA-TT) started an investigation right away. The national railway company, SNCF, shared its first findings on 13 July. They reported that the train likely came off the tracks because of a problem with the railway line itself.
The Damaged Track
SNCF explained that a metal plate, called a fishplate, had come loose. This plate connects two pieces of rail together. It was located about 200 metres (660 ft) from the station, near a track switch. A track switch is a special part of the track that lets trains change direction. The loose fishplate got stuck in this switch. When the train's wheels went over the metal plate, the third and fourth cars came off the tracks.
Checking Other Tracks
After this problem was discovered, SNCF decided to check thousands of similar track switches across their entire railway network. This was to make sure no other tracks had the same dangerous issue.
What Was the Impact?
The train crash caused a lot of damage to the railway line. About 600 metres (2,000 ft) of track were severely damaged.
Station Closures
Because of the damage, Brétigny railway station had to be closed for several days for repairs. This also affected trains starting from Gare d'Austerlitz in Paris, as most of them use this route.
Helping After the Crash
When the crash happened, firefighters and rescuers quickly arrived to help. There were some initial reports of challenges for the rescue teams. However, Jean-François Riffaud, the director of the Red Cross, later stated that their teams were able to work safely and help everyone who needed it. Police were also called to help secure the area.
Images for kids
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The 4 bolt fishplate involved in the derailment linked the lower right switch (here open) to the frog (the crossing zone). The inner plate swung around the last bolt and blocked the right frog of the double slip.
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Locomotive BB 26005 in front of train 3657.
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Carriages 3 and 4.
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Carriage 4 lying on its side.
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Locomotive and four first carriages of train 3657.
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Train 3657 on the left. In the opposite direction, another train stopped just in time.
See also
In Spanish: Accidente ferroviario de Brétigny-sur-Orge para niños
