| Naka-Meguro train disaster | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 8 March 2000 approx 9:00 am |
| Location | Near Naka-Meguro Station |
| Country | Japan |
| Line | TRTA Hibiya Line |
| Operator | TRTA |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Injured | 63 |
The Naka-Meguro train disaster occurred in Japan on 8 March 2000. Five people were killed and 63 were injured when a derailed TRTA Hibiya Line train was sideswiped by a second train near Naka-Meguro Station.
Accident
At around 9 a.m. on 8 March 2000, the rearmost car of an eight-car TRTA Hibiya Line (now Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line) train from Kita-Senju to Kikuna derailed on the tight curve immediately before Naka-Meguro Station. The derailed car was then hit by the fifth and sixth cars of an eight-car Tobu Railway train travelling in the opposite direction from Naka-Meguro to Takenotsuka.
Factors
It is generally the case that the distance between the tracks less the width of the carriages only allows about 600 mm, so that if a train derails on the same side as the other track, it will almost certainly be foul of the other track, making a collision inevitable. Track circuits do not detect derailments, so it requires prompt action from the train crew to warn the opposing train.
See also
- List of rail accidents (2000–2009)
References
- Failure Knowledge Database 日比谷線の列車脱線衝突 Retrieved on 27 August 2008 (in English)