The network of high-speed trains (bullet trains) is being spread rapidly across the world. Due to time saving and modern facilities, crores of people travel in these every day. When it comes to safety and reliability, Japan’s Shinkansen, France’s TGV and South Korea’s KTX are at the top. These three countries have made such a record in their decades of operations that till date not a single passenger has lost his life due to a train collision or derailment on the high-speed track. But on the contrary, there are some countries in the world where hundreds of innocent passengers have lost their lives in many horrific accidents on the high-speed rail network.
#1 The secret of Japan, France and South Korea’s ‘zero-fatality’ safety record
Japan created history by running the world’s first bullet train ‘Shinkansen’ in the year 1964. The Shinkansen, which has transported billions of people over the past 60 years, has a completely impeccable record. Japan’s Automatic Train Control (ATC) and early warning signals stop trains within seconds when natural disasters such as earthquakes or strong typhoons occur.
Similarly, France’s famous TGV (Train à Grand Vitesse) started high-speed service in 1981. France’s TGV has an excellent record of zero passenger fatalities on high-speed tracks in commercial operation. On the other hand, South Korea’s KTX started its services in 2004 and has a clean safety record due to strict maintenance standards and sensor technology.
#1 Which country has the highest number of deaths in high-speed trains in the world?
The two major countries recording the highest number of deaths on high-speed rail networks (trains with speeds of 200 km/h or more) Germany And China Are:
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Germany (Ashed Incident – 1998): The worst and most catastrophic accident in European high-speed rail history occurred on June 3, 1998 in Eschede, Germany. The German ICE 1 high-speed train was traveling at approximately 200 km/h when a mechanical failure in a wheel caused the train to derail and collide with a concrete overpass bridge. in this tragic accident 101 people died and more than 80 passengers were seriously injured.
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China (Wenzhou Incident – 2011): A major accident occurred on July 23, 2011 in China, which has the world’s largest and longest high-speed network. In Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, a high-speed train stopped due to signal failure and lightning and was hit hard by another high-speed train coming from behind. in this accident 40 passengers died It took place and more than 200 people were injured.
#1 Tragic accidents in Spain and Spanish networks
Spain’s high-speed railway network has also been in the news in recent years due to safety concerns. Although the deadly accident in Santiago de Compostela in 2013 (which killed 80 people) was caused by overspeeding on a conventional upgraded line, questions have still been raised about the safety of high-speed corridors. If we look at the statistics of accidents, maximum number of deaths occur in case of single high-speed train disaster. Germany are registered in the account of.