Time 07:15 Cause Signalling error Total number of deaths 16 Trains 2 | Country Scotland Date 27 January 1874 Injuries 28 Location Falkirk | |
Rail line Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway | ||
Bo'ness Junction rail crash was a railway accident that took place at Bo'ness Junction in Falkirk.
The junction lies on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway between Falkirk and Linlithgow where the line to Bo'ness joined from the north near Manuel station.
On the morning of 27 January 1874 the East Coast Scotch express, having been divided at Edinburgh was due to pass the junction in two portions; the first bound for Glasgow at 07:02 and the second bound for Perth at 07:07, but were running some 8 minutes late. A goods train was waiting in sidings at the junction; as soon as the Glasgow express passed it was shunted across onto the main line when the Perth express collided with it. It is believed that the station staff mistook the late-running Glasgow train for the second Perth express. Signals should have prevented the disaster but it is believed they were incorrectly set. Only when the roar of the approaching express could be heard were the signals set to danger but too late to prevent the collision in which 16 were killed and 28 injured. A road bridge near the point of impact was so badly damaged it had to be demolished.
The tragedy was heightened by the fact that the Absolute Block system which would have prevented the disaster (by preventing more than one train from occupying a section of route at the same time) was being installed at the time; and was due to be switched on only 10 days later.