Eurostar 9410 derailment
Encyclopedia
The Eurostar 9410 derailment was a minor railroad accident that occurred in Bari
, Apulia
(Italy
) on October 24, 2005. While causing no deaths, it left 30 wounded and five critically injured. It received considerable attention from mass media.
.
The preceding night, a bridge above a dry riverbed in Cassano delle Murge
collapsed, killing five. Another bridge near Adelfia
collapsed under the water, flooding many roads. In Bari
, a car was swept away by a wave in a canal into the sea, killing one. A whole city district was isolated, while another flooded with mud, some of its road demolished by land movements caused by water.
The rain concerned railway officials, who feared that landslides could hit the hillside line serving the city. Local officers organized a patrol to check conditions of the railway, and drove a service vehicle along part of the track, returning minutes before the disaster.
. The train was a standard ETR 500
trainset, moved by two FS Class E404 in push-pull configuration. About 60 passengers were aboard.
Between Acquaviva delle Fonti
and Sannicandro
stations, the ground beneath the railway was caught in a landslide, while part of the hill was brought into the valley by the water rolling down from the side.
The steel rails remained suspended above the newly made 12-meter deep cliff, unbroken. The train, weighting in excess of 500 tons, crossed the gap while the landslide was still in progress. While crossing, the tail engine derailed, and the train came to a stop with its second E404 partially suspended above the cliff.
Notwithstanding the landslide, all the coaches managed to stay upright. Technicians of Ferrovie dello Stato
acknowledged the high speed of the train, which allowed the convoy to escape the collapsing ground.
Five people sustained serious wounds, while 17 received minor scratches and broken limbs.
court opened a formal inquiry about the incident, in order to check if maintenance on the railway was sound and ordinary checks had been dutifully processed.
The company who built the collapsed track was charged with malpractice in design and execution of the works. Nine people were indicted, four of them accused of lying in an official document, misrepresenting part of the work done in the technical survey.
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
(Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) on October 24, 2005. While causing no deaths, it left 30 wounded and five critically injured. It received considerable attention from mass media.
Weather over Apulia
An anomalous wave of poor weather hit southern Italy between 23 and 24 October 2005, including heavy rains that caused minor landslides and swelling in many rivers and streams. In three hours, more rain fell in the area than Apulia's usual yearly rate. The weather was reported as an "exceptional climate event" by Guido Bertolaso, then president of the Protezione CivileProtezione Civile
The "Protezione Civile" department is the national body in Italy that deals with the prediction, prevention and management of exceptional events....
.
The preceding night, a bridge above a dry riverbed in Cassano delle Murge
Cassano delle Murge
Cassano delle Murge is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Puglia, Italy.-References:...
collapsed, killing five. Another bridge near Adelfia
Adelfia
Adelfia is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Puglia, Italy. The town is a combination of two smaller towns, being Montrone and Canneto.-Overview:...
collapsed under the water, flooding many roads. In Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, a car was swept away by a wave in a canal into the sea, killing one. A whole city district was isolated, while another flooded with mud, some of its road demolished by land movements caused by water.
The rain concerned railway officials, who feared that landslides could hit the hillside line serving the city. Local officers organized a patrol to check conditions of the railway, and drove a service vehicle along part of the track, returning minutes before the disaster.
Eurostar 9410
The train left Bari at 5.35 a.m., heading to TarantoTaranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
. The train was a standard ETR 500
ETR 500
ETR 500 is a family of Italian high-speed trains introduced in 1993.Designed under the aegis of the Ferrovie dello Stato , it is now operated by Trenitalia on RFI tracks.-History:...
trainset, moved by two FS Class E404 in push-pull configuration. About 60 passengers were aboard.
Between Acquaviva delle Fonti
Acquaviva delle Fonti
Acquaviva delle Fonti is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.-Buildings:Acquaviva Cathedral is located here, since 1986 a co-cathedral in the Diocese of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti.-Famous people from Acquaviva delle Fonti:*Roberto Colaninno,...
and Sannicandro
Sannicandro di Bari
Sannicandro di Bari is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Puglia, Italy.-Main sights:The main attraction of Sannicandro is the Hohenstaufen-Norman castle, located in the centre of the city. It is composed of two structures one within the other: the first one was built by the Byzantines in...
stations, the ground beneath the railway was caught in a landslide, while part of the hill was brought into the valley by the water rolling down from the side.
The steel rails remained suspended above the newly made 12-meter deep cliff, unbroken. The train, weighting in excess of 500 tons, crossed the gap while the landslide was still in progress. While crossing, the tail engine derailed, and the train came to a stop with its second E404 partially suspended above the cliff.
Notwithstanding the landslide, all the coaches managed to stay upright. Technicians of Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato is a government-owned holding which manage infrastructure and service on the Italian rail network. The subsidiary Trenitalia is the main rail operator in Italy.-Organization:Ferrovie dello Stato subsidiaries are:...
acknowledged the high speed of the train, which allowed the convoy to escape the collapsing ground.
Five people sustained serious wounds, while 17 received minor scratches and broken limbs.
Aftermath and inquiry
The railway was closed for eight days, allowing recovery of the trainset and rebuilding of the rail ballast.Prosecutors from BariBari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
court opened a formal inquiry about the incident, in order to check if maintenance on the railway was sound and ordinary checks had been dutifully processed.
The company who built the collapsed track was charged with malpractice in design and execution of the works. Nine people were indicted, four of them accused of lying in an official document, misrepresenting part of the work done in the technical survey.