ISTANBUL — 1957 · Major Tragedy
The Yarımburgaz Train Crash: Head-On on a Single Track
At around 22:45 on the night of 20 October 1957, two passenger trains collided head-on on the single-track line between Yarımburgaz and Ispartakule stations on the European side of Istanbul. The No. 3 railcar train from Edirne and the Simplon Express, which had left Sirkeci at 21:05, had both been admitted to the same section of line. Ninety-five people were killed and about 150 injured. It is recorded as the deadliest train accident in Turkish history. Investigations found that station staff had allowed both trains into the same occupied block section. Two railway employees were held responsible and sentenced to prison. The crash kept the safety of traffic control on single-track lines on the agenda for a long time.
- Date
- 1957
- Place
- Küçükçekmece (Yarımburgaz), Istanbul
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 41.0300, 28.7000 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 20 October 1957, 21:05The Simplon Express left Sirkeci.
- 20 October 1957, 22:45It collided with a railcar train from Edirne near Yarımburgaz.
- October 1957Toll: 95 dead, about 150 injured.
- AftermathTwo station employees were held responsible and jailed.
Sources
- Vikipedi — Yarımburgaz tren kazası tr.wikipedia.org ↗
- Medyascope — Türkiye'de yaşanan en büyük beş tren kazası medyascope.tv ↗
- Wikipedia (Turkish)
- Medyascope
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.