Editing High-speed rail (section)

==Accidents==
{{See also|List of TGV accidents}}
In general, travel by high-speed rail has been demonstrated to be remarkably safe. The first high-speed rail network, the Japanese [[Shinkansen]] has not had any fatal accidents involving passengers since it began operating in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/26/opinion/freemark-high-speed-trains/|title=Opinion: Why high-speed rail is safe, smart|author=Yonah Freemark|date=26 July 2013|work=CNN|access-date=17 December 2014}}</ref>

Notable major accidents involving high-speed trains include the following.

===1998 Eschede accident===
{{Main|Eschede train disaster}}
In 1998, after over thirty years of high-speed rail operations worldwide without fatal accidents, the Eschede accident occurred in Germany: a poorly designed ICE 1 wheel fractured at a speed of {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}} near [[Eschede]], resulting in the derailment and destruction of almost the entire set of 16 cars, and the deaths of 101 people.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://danger-ahead.railfan.net/features/eschede.htm|title = Special Feature Eschede, Germany ICE High Speed Train Disaster|access-date = 30 December 2014|website = Danger Ahead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://sites.google.com/site/derailmentateschede/causes-of-the-accident|title = Derailment at Eschede|access-date = 30 December 2014|website = Derailment at Eschede}}</ref> The derailment began at a switch; the accident was made worse when the derailed cars travelling at high speed struck and collapsed a road bridge located just past the switch.

===2011 Wenzhou accident===
{{Main|Wenzhou train collision}}
On 23 July 2011, 13 years after the Eschede train accident, a Chinese CRH2 travelling at {{convert|100|km/h|0|abbr=on}} collided with a CRH1 which was stopped on a viaduct in the suburbs of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China. The two trains derailed, and four cars fell off the viaduct. Forty people were killed and at least 192 were injured, 12 of them severely.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/25/c_131008630.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204194309/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/25/c_131008630.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 December 2011|title=Death toll from China's train crash rises to 39, including two Americans|access-date=17 December 2014}}</ref>

The disaster led to a number of changes in management and exploitation of high-speed rail in China. Despite the fact that speed itself was not a factor in the cause of the accident, one of the major changes was to further lower the maximum speeds in high-speed and higher-speed railways in China, the remaining {{convert|350|km/h|0|abbr=on}} becoming {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}}, {{convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}} becoming 200, and {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}} becoming 160.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-08/12/content_13097239.htm|title=Decision to slow trains met with mixed response|newspaper=China Daily}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-08/23/content_13167866.htm|title=More high-speed trains slow down to improve safety|newspaper=China Daily}}</ref> Six years later they started to be restored to their original high speeds.<ref name="Xinhuanet">{{cite web |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/21/c_136625952.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131130224/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/21/c_136625952.htm|url-status=dead |archive-date=31 January 2018|title=China begins to restore 350&nbsp;km/h bullet train |publisher=Xinhuanet}}</ref>

===2013 Santiago de Compostela accident===
{{Main|Santiago de Compostela derailment}}
In July 2013, a high-speed train in Spain travelling at {{convert|190|km/h|abbr=on}} attempted to negotiate a curve whose speed limit is {{convert|80|km/h|abbr=on}}. The train derailed and overturned, resulting in 78 fatalities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/25/19661944-american-among-80-killed-in-spanish-train-crash-driver-detained?lite |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130725220113/http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/25/19661944-american-among-80-killed-in-spanish-train-crash-driver-detained?lite |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 July 2013 |title=American woman among 80 killed in Spain train crash; driver detained |work=NBC News |access-date=17 December 2014 }}</ref> Normally high-speed rail has automatic speed limiting restrictions, but this track section is a conventional section and in this case the automatic speed limit was said to be disabled by the driver several kilometers before the station. A few days later, the train worker's union claimed that the speed limiter didn't work properly because of lack of proper funding, acknowledging the budget cuts made by the current government. {{Citation needed|date = January 2015}} Two days after the accident, the driver was provisionally charged with homicide by negligence. This is the first accident that occurred with a Spanish high-speed train, but it occurred in a section that was not high speed and as mentioned safety equipment mandatory on high-speed track would have prevented the accident.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.02b.com/es/notices/2013/07/el_accidente_atemoriza_a_las_empresas_que_pujan_por_el_ave_de_brasil_6826.php |title=El accidente atemoriza a las empresas que pujan por el AVE de Brasil|work=02B|access-date=17 December 2014|archive-date=29 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129062120/http://www.02b.com/es/notices/2013/07/el_accidente_atemoriza_a_las_empresas_que_pujan_por_el_ave_de_brasil_6826.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===2015 Eckwersheim accident===
{{Main|Eckwersheim derailment}}
On 14 November 2015, a specialised [[TGV Duplex#Dasye and Euroduplex|TGV EuroDuplex]] was performing commissioning tests on the unopened second phase of the [[LGV Est]] high-speed line in France, when it entered a curve, overturned, and struck the [[parapet#bridge parapet|parapet]] of a bridge over the [[Marne–Rhine Canal]]. The rear [[power car]] came to a rest in the canal, while the remainder of the train came to a rest in the grassy median between the northern and southern tracks. Approximately 50 people were on board, consisting of SNCF technicians and, reportedly, some unauthorised guests. Eleven were killed and 37 were injured. The train was performing tests at 10 percent above the planned speed limit for the line and should have slowed from {{convert|352|km/h|abbr=on}} to {{convert|176|km/h|abbr=on}} before entering the curve. Officials have indicated that excessive speed may have caused the accident.<ref name="RG">{{cite news|title=Test train catastrophe on LGV Est |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/test-train-catastrophe-on-lgv-est.html|access-date=16 November 2015|work=Railway Gazette|date=16 November 2015|archive-date=17 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117015359/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/test-train-catastrophe-on-lgv-est.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> During testing, some safety features that usually prevent accidents like this one are switched off.

===2018 Ankara train collision===
{{Main|Marşandiz train collision}}
On 13 December 2018, a high-speed passenger train travelling at {{convert|80–90|km/h}} and a locomotive collided near [[Yenimahalle]] in Ankara Province, Turkey. Three cars (carriages/coaches) of the passenger train derailed in the collision. Three railroad engineers and five passengers were killed at the scene, and 84 people were injured. Another injured passenger later died, and 34 passengers, including two in critical condition, were treated in several hospitals.

===2020 Livraga derailment===
{{Main|Livraga derailment}}
On 6 February 2020, a high-speed train travelling at {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} derailed at Livraga, Lombardy, Italy. The two drivers were killed and a number of passengers were injured.<ref name=BBC51397027>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51397027 |title=Italy train crash: Two dead in high-speed derailment |work=BBC News |date=6 February 2020 |access-date=6 February 2020}}</ref> The cause as reported by investigators was that a faulty set of junction points was in the reverse position, but was reported by the signaling system as being in the normal – i.e. straight – position.<ref name="Corriere070220">{{cite web |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/20_febbraio_07/treno-deragliato-l-ipotesi-pm-uno-scambio-aperto-errore-e65884be-4970-11ea-8e62-fcd8bfe20a1c.shtml |title=Treno deragliato, le cause dell'incidente: "Uno scambio aperto per errore" |trans-title=Train derailed, the causes of the accident: «A set of points opened by mistake» |language=it |publisher=Corriere |date=7 February 2020 |access-date=8 February 2020}}</ref>