Britain's railway remains one of the safest in Europe new ORR data reveals. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) – the primary producer of official statistics for Britain's railway – has today (19 May 2022) published new data showing that Britain continues to have one of the safest railways in Europe.
1. Switzerland. Tucked inside the small but incredibly beautiful country of Switzerland is one of the most efficient and scenic rail networks in the world.
According to a 2022 report on Railway Safety and Interoperability in the EU, railways in Europe remain “among the safest in the world” with major accidents involving five or more fatalities becoming “increasingly rare”.
The United States has the world's longest railway network, followed by China and India. Railway-technology.com profiles the 10 largest railway networks in the world based on total operating length.
Highlights. In 2021, there were 1 389 significant railway accidents in the EU, with a total of 683 persons killed and 513 seriously injured. Since 2010, the number of significant railway accidents has gradually decreased, with 840 fewer accidents in 2021 than in 2010 (-38%).
Using Wikipedia's list of rail crashes and its UIC-sourced list of rail passenger-km by country, one can compare different countries' mainline passenger rail accident fatality rates. The US turns out to be the least safe among the regions I've checked, even worse than India; much-maligned China comes out first.
Sit in the center-most train car
When choosing a seat on a train, try to get one in the center-most car, or one of the central cars. This will put you as far as possible from the most common points of issue for collisions or derailment, namely the front and end of the train.
1. United States - 250,000 km. The US rail network, with an operating route length over 250,000 km, is the biggest in the world.
Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia
The Trans-Siberian Railway is among the longest rail routes in the world, running for 9,289km (5,772mi). Starting at the westward terminus in Moscow, the Trans-Siberian crosses over the Ural Mountains and through dense Siberian forest.
Public transport is reliable and widely used in Australia, particularly in metro and urban areas. A number of security measures have been implemented to maximise the safety of public transport users including security officers and guards, help points, good lighting and security cameras.
Rail and air travel are the safest modes per distance travelled, followed by bus. The passengers of trains, bus/coach and planes within the EU have the lowest fatality risk per passenger kilometre.
Train Stations
Assuming you can find one that stays open all night, a train station can be a free, warm, safe, and uncomfortable place to hang your hat. Most popular tourist cities in Europe have stations whose concrete floors are painted nightly with a long rainbow of sleepy vagabonds.
Germany is, by far, the European country with the longest railway lines.
Rail systems are so popular in Europe because they can get loads of passengers to their respective destinations en masse — with much less of an impact on the environment. National governments, looking to reduce carbon emissions and put pro-environmental policy into practice, subsidize or own entire rail networks.
(Image credit: www.guinnessworldrecords.com) The Hubballi railway station in Karnataka has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest railway platform in the world. The 1,507 metre long platform was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
The Railroad Journal gives the following as an answer:— " It is very well known that the car nearest the engine is exposed to the least dust, and that the rear car of a train is generally safer than the front car.
Sit in the front or the rear? Since most accidents happen at railroad crossings, it is safe to assume that the train experiences a head-on collision with an object. I would place my bet on the rear of the train being the safer location.
For example, a seat in the middle or central coaches, preferably 6th, 7th, or 8th are good bets (If it is a 13-15 coach train). This is because if there is a collision from the front, the impact would be most severe on the locomotive and a few coaches from the front.
In the 5-year period, there were 812 cases of serious unintentional injury in Australia involving a train, an average of 162 per year.
80 people were killed and more than 140 others were injured when a high-speed train derailed near Santiago de Compostela in July 2013. An investigation revealed that the train from Madrid was travelling 179 km/h along a stretch of track with an 80 km/h speed limit.