| Kirtlebridge rail crash | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 2 October 1872 |
| Location | Kirtlebridge |
| Coordinates | 55°03′00″N 3°12′43″W / 55.050°N 3.212°W |
| Country | Scotland |
| Line | Caledonian Railway |
| Cause | Shunting took place without signalman's authority |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Deaths | 12 |
The Kirtlebridge rail crash took place in 1872 at Kirtlebridge railway station in Dumfriesshire.[note 1] An express passenger train ran into a goods train that was shunting; 11 people lost their lives immediately, and one further person succumbed later. The cause was a failure to communicate between the station master in charge of the shunting operation, and the signalman. There was not full interlocking of the points, and the block system of signalling was not in use.[1]
The location was very close to the point where the present-day A74(M) road crosses the line.
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