Fiesch derailment

Last updated
Fiesch derailment
2010 Fiesch derailment location.png
Location of the derailment in Switzerland
Details
Date23 July 2010
Location Fiesch
Country Switzerland
Operator Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
Incident type derailment
Statistics
Trains1
Deaths1
Injured40

The Fiesch derailment occurred on Friday 23 July 2010, at 11:50 CET [1] when a Glacier Express train, from Zermatt heading towards St. Moritz, derailed at low speed between the cities of Lax and Fiesch, Canton Valais, Switzerland.

Two rear panorama cars were overturned while a third car derailed but remained on the track. [2]

A 64-year-old Japanese woman was killed and 42 people were injured and taken to hospital. The day after the accident 17 persons (16 Japanese, 1 Spanish) were still in hospital care. [2]

The cause of the accident was blamed on human error in that the driver was going too fast. [3] Traffic resumed on Sunday 25 July after repair and the railway had been declared safe by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (operator of the Glacier Express). [4]

On 7 March 2011, it was announced that the driver of the train at the time of its crash had been convicted of homicide and negligence, and would face a fine of 15,000 Swiss francs. [5]

The Investigation Bureau for Railway, Funicular and Boat Accidents investigated the accident.

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Fiesch railway station is a metre gauge station serving the municipality of Fiesch, in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. The station forms part of the Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO), which connects Brig in Valais, via Furka Base Tunnel, Andermatt in Uri, with Göschenen, Uri, and Disentis/Mustér, Graubünden. Since 1 January 2003, the FO has been owned and operated by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), following a merger between the FO and the Brig-Visp-Zermatt railway (BVZ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Täsch railway station</span> Metre gauge railway station in Switzerland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brig Bahnhofplatz railway station</span> Railway station in Brig-Glis in the Swiss canton of Valais

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitsch railway station</span> Railway station in Switzerland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mörel railway station</span> Railway station in Switzerland

Mörel railway station is a railway station in the municipality of Mörel-Filet, in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is an intermediate stop on the 1,000 mm gauge Furka Oberalp line of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and is served by local trains only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grengiols railway station</span> Railway station in Switzerland

Grengiols railway station is a railway station in the municipality of Grengiols, in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is an intermediate stop on the 1,000 mm gauge Furka Oberalp line of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and is served by local trains only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiesch Feriendorf railway station</span> Railway station in Switzerland

Fiesch Feriendorf railway station, also known as Fiesch Sport- & Feriencenter railway station, is a railway station in the municipality of Fiesch, in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is an intermediate stop on the 1,000 mm gauge Furka Oberalp line of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and is served by local trains only.

References

  1. ↑ "Woman dies in Swiss train accident". Japan Times. 25 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Railway lines in the Valais passable again". NZZ Online. 25 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  3. ↑ "Driver error to blame for Glacier Express crash". Euronews. 30 July 2010. Archived from the original on 5 August 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "Glacier Express: Line tested – operations running to schedule" (PDF). Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  5. ↑ "Engineer convicted in fatal Swiss crash". Trains Magazine. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.

46°24′11″N8°07′58″E / 46.403007°N 8.132672°E / 46.403007; 8.132672

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