List of terrorist incidents involving railway systems

The following is a list of terrorist incidents involving railway systems:

Before 1960 LocationDateDeadInjuredDetailsPerpetratorsPart of Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States3 September 186117100+Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy: A Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad train was wrecked after Confederate partisans sabotaged the supports of a bridge over the Platte River.Bushwhackers American Civil War Schwarzenau, Austria-Hungary (now in Austria)4 November 1875981A passenger train from Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof to Prague derailed due to the loosening of the fastenings of a piece of track on the outer rail in a curve that ran near the Schwarzenau station.A destitute signalman Chillón, Spain 27 April 18845981Alcudia bridge disaster: A train plunged into a river after bridge supports were sawn off.Unknown London, United Kingdom26 April 188728A bomb planted in a first-class compartment exploded on the Metropolitan Railway near Aldersgate St. station. The first fatal terrorist attack against what is now the London Underground, it is one of a series of bombings of the Underground and other London landmarks.FeniansFenian dynamite campaign Lincoln, Nebraska, United States9 August 1894111894 Rock Island railroad wreck: A locomotive pulling two passenger cars was derailed. There were signs that a 400-foot trestle had been purposely damaged, and it was ruled as sabotage. Unknown (An African-American man, George Washington Davies, was initially convicted of second-degree murder for the crime, but was later paroled due to strong doubts over his guilt.) Litchfield, Illinois, United States3 July 190424A sabotaged switch led to the derailment of a Wabash Railroad train. Mentor, Ohio, United States21 June 19052125+The New York Central Railroad's flagship passenger train, the 20th Century Limited, was derailed in an apparent act of sabotage. British India7 October 19201315During a labour dispute on the Madras Railway, the Madras-Bangalore Mail (which would now be Chennai-Bengaluru) was derailed due to a sabotaged track60 coolies arrested. Germany19 August 192621A Berlin-to-Cologne express derailed on an embankment due to sabotage of the track. The locomotive and seven cars fell down the embankment and two cars were telescoped.Two men were convicted and sentenced to death. British India (now in Myanmar)28 January 19285430A mail train from Mandalay to Rangoon (now Yangon), was derailed by sabotage to the track at a bridge between Yindsikkon (now Yin Taik Kone) and Kyauktaga. The locomotive and four cars fell into the river below. Dacoits (suspected). Biatorbágy, Hungary13 September 193122120The Vienna Express was derailed by a bomb planted by a man who claimed he got sexual pleasure watching trains crash.Szilveszter Matuska Puçol, Spain 9 December 19331338A train plunged into a river after as it passed over a bridge that had been bombed.Anarchists Hazaribagh, British India 12 January 19392171On the East Indian Railway, saboteurs removed a length of rail. The locomotive of the Dehra Dun Express from Howrah made it across the gap, but the rest of the train was derailed. Unknown Nevada, United States12 August 19392425+1939 City of San Francisco derailment – An act of sabotage sent the City of San Francisco flying off a bridge in the Nevada desert; five cars were destroyed. The case remains unsolved. Tarnów, Poland28 August 19392035Tarnów railway station bombing: A German agent placed a suitcase bomb at a busy railway station.Antoni Guzy (Nazi German agent)Lead up to the German invasion of Poland in World War II Jairampur, Bengal, British India 5 August 19403450The Dacca Mail on the Eastern Bengal Railway was derailed from Calcutta (now Kolkata) by track sabotage. Suzhou, China29 November 1940100300Guerrillas operating in Japanese-occupied territory blew up the superstructure under a train traveling from Shanghai to Nanjing.KuomintangSecond Sino-Japanese War Sindh, British India (now in Pakistan)16 May 19422226Dacoits from a Sufi religious community sabotaged the track of the Punjab Mail train to Lahore between Tando Adam Khan and Odero Lal, derailing the locomotive and 6 cars. They then attacked the passengers and stole their valuables. Among the dead was a minister of the Sindh government.Hur dacoits Rehovot, Mandatory Palestine22 April 19478Five British Army officers, two Palestinian Arab adults and a 3-year-old boy were killed when a military train was mined.Palestine Terrorists Kill 8 In Bombing of Troop Train NY Times, 23 April 1947Lehi1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine Lydda, Mandatory Palestine15 May 1947211Seven bombs exploded along train tracks, killing two British lieutenants.Two Britons Killed in Palestine Mine NY Times, 16 May 1947Lehi1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine Tianjin, China31 May 1947100A train was hit by landmine laid by guerrillas. The locomotive and the three following cars derailed and were damaged. The guerrillas then looted the train.People's Liberation ArmyChinese Civil War Lydda, Mandatory Palestine9 August 19471A British troop train was bombed, killing the engineer.Terrorists Wreck Haifa Troop Train NY Times, 10 August 1947Irgun1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine Amritsar, India22 September 1947341813281947 Amritsar train massacre: A train carrying more than 4,500 Muslim refugees was ambushed and fired upon for three hours. Armed Sikhs Partition of India Kamoke, Pakistan25 September 1947408 587 1947 Kamoke train massacre: A train carrying Hindu and Sikh refugees was ambushed.Armed MuslimsPartition of India Haifa, Mandatory Palestine29 September 194701A British troop train was bombed.Terrorists Strike in Palestine Again NY Times, 30 September 1947Irgun1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine Gujrat, Pakistan12 January 19481,300–1,6001501948 Gujrat train massacre: Hindu and Sikh refugees were killed after a clash between soldiers escorting the train and Pathans.Armed Muslim PathansPartition of India Rehovot, Mandatory Palestine29 February 19482835Cairo–Haifa train bombings 1948: Jewish militants mined a British military train in retaliation for the Ben Yehuda Street Bombing. No civilians were hurt.Lehi1948 Palestine war Binyamina, Mandatory Palestine31 March 19484060Cairo–Haifa train bombings 1948: A British military train was mined by Jewish militants. Though some soldiers were on the train, all casualties were civilians.Lehi1948 Palestine war Tokyo, Japan15 July 1949620Mitaka incident: A train was possibly deliberately crashed into the Mitaka Station. The government blamed the Japanese Communist Party, as the incident happened in Red Purge era. The defendants who were members of Japanese Communist Party were acquitted, the only person convicted was not a member of a party and his guilt remains in doubt. Cause of the derailment remains unknown.Keisuke Takeuchi (suspected) Matsukawa, Japan17 August 19493Matsukawa derailment: A Tōhoku Main Line train was derailed between Kanayagawa and Matsukawa stations, killing three crew members. The government blamed the Japanese Communist Party but later retracted.Unknown Col des Nuages, French Indochina (now in Vietnam)24 June 1953100+1953 Col des Nuages derailment: A passenger train crashed into a ravine after passing through a sabotaged viaduct.Viet MinhFirst Indochina War

1960s LocationDateDeadInjuredDetailsPerpetratorsPart of San Sebastián, Spain28 June 19601SeveralBomb attack at the Amara station by leftwing militants.DRIL Siliguri, West Bengal, India19 April 19612377A passenger train was derailed by a sabotaged track. Vitry-le-François, France18 June 196128100+1961 Vitry-Le-François train bombing: A Strasbourg-Paris train was derailed by a bomb planted on the track. The fact that the derailment was deliberate was kept secret by the government for many years.OASAlgerian War Lumding, Assam, India20 April 19665772A train from Tinsukia to New Jalpaiguri was standing at Lumding Junction when a bomb destroyed several cars. Naga rebels (suspected).Ethnic conflict in Nagaland Diphu, Assam, India23 April 19664181A stationary train from Tinsukia to New Jalpaiguri was blown up by a bomb.Naga rebels (suspected).Ethnic conflict in Nagaland

1970s LocationDateDeadInjuredDetailsPerpetratorsPart of Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom21 July 19729130Bloody Friday: Three railway stations were among those targeted by 22 car bombs across the city within a span of 80 minutes.Provisional IRAThe Troubles London, United Kingdom10 September 1973038Bombings of King's Cross and Euston stations: Attacks were carried out on two mainline stations.Provisional IRAThe Troubles San Benedetto Val di Sambro, Italy4 August 19741248Italicus Express bombing 1974: A bomb exploded on the Italicus Express second-class train car before dawn. The first explosion was caused by a bomb; the second was thought possibly to be caused by a short circuit. The defendants, neo-fascists Mario Tuti, Luciano Franci, Piero Malentacchi, and Margherita Luddi were acquitted of planting the bomb on the Rome-Munich vacation express due to a lack of evidence in 1983.Ordine Nero (claimed)Years of Lead Wijster, Netherlands 2–14 December 197531975 Dutch train hostage crisis: Seven terrorists hijacked the Hoogeveen-Beilen train with about 50 passengers held them hostage for twelve days, killing three hostages.South Moluccan freedom fighters London, United Kingdom4 March 197608A bomb exploded on an empty electric multiple unit at , wounding people aboard an adjacent train. London, United Kingdom15 March 197619West Ham station attack: Premature detonation of an explosive inside a train, followed by the bomber opening fire inside the station.Adrian Vincent Donnelly (Provisional IRA member)The Troubles Alexandria, Egypt14 August 1976851A bomb exploded on a train loaded with workers and peasants at 10:45 am. The bomb was left on the luggage rack and exploded while the train was traveling from the yard to the station.Libya (suspected)Lead up to Egyptian–Libyan War Moscow, Soviet Union8 January 19777371977 Moscow bombings: A series of bombings in Moscow, including on a crowded train between the Izmailovskaya and Pervomaiskaya stations of the Moscow Metro.Unknown Glimmen, Netherlands23 May – 11 June 1977861977 Dutch train hostage crisis: Nine terrorists hijacked a train and held hostages for twenty days. Two hostages and six hostage-takers were killed before the M-Squadron raided the train.South Moluccan separatists Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom12 October 197810A bomb exploded on a train near Belfast Central station before it was fully evacuated, killing a woman.CAIN Chronology of the conflict 1978, retrieved March 4, 2007Provisional IRAThe Troubles Madrid, Spain29 July 19797100+July 1979 Madrid bombings: Coordinated bombings in Barajas Airport and Atocha and Chamartín train stationsETABasque conflict

1980s