A high-speed TGV train collided with a truck at a level crossing in Bully-les-Mines, northern France, at around 7 am local time this April 7, killing the driver and injuring 27 people. The train, carrying around 350 passengers, partially derailed after the impact.
Emergency services responded quickly, while rail traffic was disrupted. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
Serious train accidents like this have been recorded since the mid-19th century. Whether caused by brake failures, derailments, accidental fires, or human error, rail crashes are traumatic and often fatal events. Fortunately, such incidents are rare thanks to advances in railway safety technology. But they can, and do, still happen.
Click through to revisit some of the most dramatic train crashes in history.