 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2018) |
| Norwood Junction rail accident | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 1 May 1891 |
| Location | Norwood Junction railway station, South Norwood, Surrey |
| Country | England |
| Line | Brighton Main Line |
| Operator | London, Brighton and South Coast Railway |
| Cause | Bridge collapse |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | ~200 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 1 |
| List of UK rail accidents by year | |
The Norwood Junction railway crash occurred on 1 May 1891, when a cast-iron underbridge over Portland Road, 60 yards (55 m) north-east of Norwood Junction railway station, fractured under the weight of an express train from Brighton to London Bridge.
The locomotive, no. 175 "Hayling" crossed the bridge safely with most of its carriages, but the brake van fell into the gap on the bridge. There were no serious casualties: a passenger suffered a dislocated ankle; four further passengers were slightly injured and the guard in the foremost brake van received head and arm injuries.[1] The accident drew attention to the weakness of cast-iron structures in underbridges, especially as many had been installed in the 1830s and 1840s when locomotives and carriages were much lighter.
- ^ Hutchinson, pp 3; 6