| Taunton sleeping car fire | |
|---|---|
 A British Railways Mark 1 sleeping car, similar to the one involved in the accident | |
| Details | |
| Date | 6 July 1978 02:40 |
| Location | Taunton, Somerset |
| Country | England |
| Line | Great Western Main Line |
| Cause | Obstructed electric heater |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | ~8 coaches |
| Deaths | 12 |
| Injured | 15 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
In the early hours of 6 July 1978, a fire broke out in a sleeping car train near Taunton, Somerset, England. Twelve people were killed and 15 were injured. The fire was caused by an electric heater that had been obstructed by sacks of dirty bed linen, causing it to overheat. Most deaths were due to smoke inhalation.
In response to the incident, British Rail adopted various fire safety measures on the newly introduced Mark 3 passenger carriages.