The Armagh Railway Disaster – 12 June 1889
Published on 11 June 2013 by The BNA
The Armagh railway disaster took place on 12 June 1889 with the loss of 80 lives.
The accident happened after the engine stalled on a steep hill, and the crew decided to split the train in two in order to negotiate the steep incline.
Tragically, the second half of the train was not properly braked, and it ran back down the hill and collided with an oncoming train.
At the time, this was the worst rail disaster that had occurred in the UK or Europe, and the tragedy led to a tightening up of safety legislation and also more state intervention in the running of the railways.
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Published on Tue, 11 June 2013.