| Abergele rail disaster | |
|---|---|
 Abergele rail disaster memorial | |
| Details | |
| Date | 20 August 1868 |
| Location | Abergele, Conwy. |
| Country | Wales |
| Line | North Wales Coast Line |
| Cause | Runaway goods wagons |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Deaths | 33 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
The Abergele rail disaster took place near Abergele, North Wales, in August 1868. At the time, it was the worst railway disaster to have occurred in Great Britain.
The Irish Mail train was on its way from London to Holyhead. At Llanddulas -- the nearest sidings to Abergele -- a complicated shunting operation was blocking the main line. In the confusion a brake-van and six wagons loaded with paraffin were left uncoupled on a gradient leading down to Abergele. A collision with other wagons caused these to run downhill into the path of the Irish Mail train, the casks of paraffin bursting on impact and catching fire, engulfing the passenger train.
Flames and smoke made rescue impossible and 33 people died in the crash, some of them burned beyond recognition. The inquest blamed the two brakemen on the goods train, who had failed to properly secure the wagons, as well as the stationmaster at Llanddulas who was supervising the operation. The Board of Trade also strongly criticised the London and North Western Railway for poor practices.