Ricken Tunnel railway accident
| Ricken Tunnel Railway Accident | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | October 4, 1926 12:01 pm |
| Location | Ricken Tunnel, St. Gallen |
| Coordinates | 47°14′59″N 9°3′28″E / 47.24972°N 9.05778°E |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Deaths | 9 |
The Ricken Tunnel railway accident killed six crew members of a freight train and three rescuers on October 4, 1926, through carbon monoxide poisoning in the Ricken Tunnel between Kaltbrunn and Wattwil in the Swiss Alps.
The Ricken Tunnel lies under the Ricken Pass and is part of the single-track SBB-operated Uznach–Wattwil line. It is 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi) long, with a cross-sectional area of 25.5 square metres (274 sq ft) and a constant incline of 15.75 ‰. The tunnel lacks artificial ventilation. The tunnel was widely disliked by railway personnel during the era of steam operation due to the danger of gas buildup.
The crew of passenger train #3616, which left Wattwil earlier that morning at 11:05 am and arrived in Kaltbrunn at 11:20 am, did not notice any significant gas buildup in the tunnel.