Houten train accident

Houten train accident
Location within Netherlands
Date 7 June 1917
Location Houten
Coordinates 52°00′21″N 5°11′7″E / 52.00583°N 5.18528°E / 52.00583; 5.18528
Country Netherlands
Operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Type of incident Derailment
Cause Due to heat the rails was expanded
Statistics
Trains 1
Injuries 26

The Houten train accident was a railway accident in between Houten and Schalkwijk, the Netherlands on 7 June 1917 around 16:30. The locomotive and the first eight wagons were detachted from the other part of the other wagos and came to a standstil. Eleven wagons derailed including one that rolled off the embankment causing enormous damage.[1] 26 people were injured. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands who was in the train was unharmed.

The heat was the cause of the derailment. The outside temperature was about 30 degrees celcius causing expansion of the rails. It was named a "slap in the track". During the evening and night, soldiers who were stationed in the area helped to release of one of the two tracks.

The train included two Royal wagons. These wagons were mounted last and only the first of the Royal wagons derailed. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was inside and was unharmed. The Queen had made a two-day visit to the Zaltbommel region and was on her way home to The Hague via Utrecht.[2] The Queen helped with taking care over the injured people. She was described as calm and responded professionally. After 20 minutes to half an hour there was no help needed and the Queen went by train to Utrecht. The day after the accident there were at the various royal palaces registers opened where people could signs to congratulate the Queen with the good outcome.

References

  1. ↑ regio, dichtbij.nl – nieuws en informatie uit de (8 June 2013). "Ontsporing van de Koninklijke trein in Houten (1917)" (in Dutch).
  2. ↑ "Ontsporing koninklijke trein - Oudhouten" (in Dutch). oudhouten.nl.
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