Major Rail Accidents Fast Facts

Editor's Note: This timeline is not all-inclusive. Selected rail incidents with at least 200 fatalities are listed, plus US incidents.

Here's some background information about major rail accidents since 1900.

January 1915 - Guadalajara, Mexico: More than 600 people die when a train derails into a ravine during a steep descent.

May 22, 1915 - Gretna, Scotland: The United Kingdom's worst rail disaster occurs when three trains collide at Quintinshill, resulting in 227 deaths, many of whom were soldiers of the Royal Scots.

June 1915 - Montemorelos, Mexico: A military train derails into a canyon, killing more than 300.

December 12, 1917 - Modane, France: 427 people die when a train carrying more than 1,000 soldiers derails in the French Alps.

January 16, 1944 - León Province, Spain: A train wrecks in the Torro tunnel, killing more than 500 people.