1877 Derailment
| Morpeth derailment (1877) | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 25 March 1877 |
| Location | Morpeth, Northumberland |
| Country | England |
| Rail line | East Coast Main Line |
| Cause | Defective track |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Injuries | 17 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
On 25 March 1877, the 10:30 p.m. train from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross was derailed on the curve. It was travelling at only 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). The officer from the Railway Inspectorate who held the inquiry, Captain Henry Tyler, found that faulty track was to blame. He also commented perspicaciously "It would obviously be better if a deviation line could be constructed, to avoid the use of so sharp a curve on a main line". Over 140 years later, this "deviation line" has still not yet been built.
Read more about this topic: Rail Accidents At Morpeth