Train Accident On The Dehradun Railway Line, 1906 Postcard
An old 1906 postcard that shows a train accident on the Dehradun railway line. The goods wagon appears to be derailed with British and Indian railway officials seem to be inspecting the site. The railway line is probably the Dehradun-Delhi line. The derailment could be of several causes either damaged rails, negligence of the railway gangmen, or natural causes.
The British-era railway lines may have been an engineering achievement but sometimes it had poor safety records. Safety on the Indian railways has, in fact, improved considerably throughout post-WWII. The spectacular nature of some of the crashes, which often had had high death toll because of the overcrowded trains. Railways on the other are a safe form of transport in India, especially when compared with road accidents where death tolls are much higher.
Did you know – that before WWI, major accidents were comparatively rare, partly because trains were slow.
Past posts – Drawing Of The Hiding Of The Taj Mahal In WWII., The Imposing Taj Mahal Hotel Bombay, 1905 Photo., A Dhoby In British Era Bombay, Old Postcard 1903., View of Bombay Showing The Fort – Old Print 1850.