Although railway travel is now amongst the safest forms of transport in the world and, in Britain no passenger has been killed whilst travelling by train since the derailment of a Virgin Pendolino at Grayrigg in 2007, there are still incidents worldwide in which issues of railway safety are critical.
Over the years major accidents have resulted in lessons being learnt and changes introduced that have helped to bring about the current levels of safety. In An Unexpected End to the Journey, Peter van der Mark explores the causes and consequences of railway accidents throughout the world, helping to explain through a detailed examination of 60 accidents how the railway grew to be what it is today: an unbeatably safe way to travel.
Based upon years of research and drawing upon the author's experiences of the railway industry to put the featured accidents into context, An Unexpected End to the Journey is a superb analysis of railway accidents and how the lessons learnt have been put into practice.It is required reading for all involved or interested in the industry. 608 pages.