89. The Catastrophic Quintinshill Rail Tragedy of 1915
Year: 1915
Location: Quintinshill, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Company: Caledonian Railway
Estimated Damage Value: Unknown
In 1915, Quintinshill, Scotland witnessed the UK’s deadliest rail disaster. The Gretna Rail Disaster, involving a five-train crash on the Caledonian Main Line, resulted in 226 fatalities and 246 injuries. A troop carrier’s collision with a stationary train initiated the catastrophe.

A minute after the initial crash, a northbound sleeper collided with the debris, igniting a gas fire. Only half of the troop train’s soldiers survived. Two signalmen, whose negligence contributed to the tragedy, served a year in jail before being rehired.