| 1996 Maryland train collision | |
|---|---|
 Aerial photograph of the collision. The MARC commuter train is on the left, and the Capitol Limited is on the right. | |
| Details | |
| Date | February 16, 1996 5:39 pm |
| Location | Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°00′03″N 77°02′32″W / 39.0008°N 77.0423°W |
| Country | United States |
| Operator | MARC Amtrak |
| Incident type | Collision |
| Cause | Signal passed at danger due to driver error of the MARC train, having forgotten to comply with the requirements of an approach signal. |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Passengers | 184 |
| Deaths | 11 |
| Injured | 26 |
On February 16, 1996, a MARC commuter train collided with Amtrak's Capitol Limited passenger train in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, killing three crew and eight passengers on the MARC train; a further eleven passengers on the same train and fifteen passengers and crew on the Capitol Limited were injured. Total damage was estimated at $7.5 million.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the crew of the MARC train had forgotten the indication of an approach signal which they had passed before a station stop, and as a consequence, could not slow down in time after encountering a stop signal.
The crash led to the creation of comprehensive federal rules for passenger car design, the first in the history of passenger service in the U.S.,[1] as well as changes to operating rules.