Versailles Rail Accident
Versailles Rail Accident  
Podcast: History Dispatches
Published On: Fri Jul 25 2025
Description: On May 8, 1842, the locomotive of a train traveling to Paris from Versailles, broke an axle. The carriages behind the locomotive piled into it, and caught fire - leading to a catastrophic inferno. Upwards of 200 people were killed. This is the story of the Versailles rail accident - the first major railway disasters in history - and the deadliest in the world at the time. Sources https://www.geriwalton.com/versailles-railway-accident-of-1842/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versailles_rail_accident Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meudon_1842.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices