| 1953 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck | |
|---|---|
 Wreckage of the train | |
| Details | |
| Date | January 15, 1953 8:38 a.m. |
| Location | Union Station, Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′56″N 77°00′22″W / 38.8988°N 77.0061°W |
| Country | United States |
| Line | Washington Union Terminal |
| Operator | Pennsylvania Railroad |
| Incident type | Overrun |
| Cause | Braking failure |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | 400 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 43 |
The 1953 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck occurred on January 15, 1953, when a passenger and mail train from Boston to Washington DC (the Federal) failed to brake sufficiently on its approach to Union Station, Washington, jumping the platform and plunging through the floor of the concourse. There were no deaths, but 43 people were injured.
The cause of the accident was a design flaw that allowed an air brake valve to close without human intervention.