Subway and train derailment evacuation¶

A subway or rail collision produces violent forces, sudden darkness, smoke, and panic. What you do in the first sixty seconds determines your survival. The greatest hazards after impact are high voltage traction power, approaching trains on adjacent tracks, and thick smoke in confined tunnels.

Do this now¶

1. Check yourself and those nearby for injuries, but do not stand up until the train has come to a complete stop and all motion ceases.
2. Stay inside the rail car unless there is active fire, heavy smoke, or rising water. The car provides structural protection from passing trains and falling debris.
3. Listen for crew announcements from the train operator, conductor, or transit police over the public address system.
4. Assume all rails and overhead wires are fully energized. A subway third rail carries between 600 and 750 volts of direct current, which is fatal on contact. Overhead lines carry up to 25,000 volts.
5. Open emergency exit windows or end doors only if an immediate life threat exists and crew members cannot be reached.
6. Move in a single file line along the center of the track bed between running rails, away from third rails, toward illuminated tunnel emergency exit signs.

Immediate actions during the impact¶

A derailment happens in seconds. You will feel severe vibration, violent sideways swaying, and sudden deceleration.

• If you are seated: Lean forward, brace your feet firmly flat on the floor, tuck your head against your chest or the seat in front of you, and clasp your hands behind your neck to protect your cervical spine.
• If you are standing: Drop low to the floor immediately. Grip a fixed seat stanchion or pole with both hands. If you cannot reach a pole, brace your back against a car wall and widen your stance.
• Guard against flying objects: Luggage, broken glass, and laptops become high speed projectiles. Keep your head covered with your arms or a jacket.
• Protect your airway: Broken windows and sudden stops kick up brake dust, pulverized concrete, and fiberglass insulation. Pull your collar, scarf, or shirt over your nose and mouth immediately.

Decide whether to stay or evacuate¶

Transportation safety agencies, including the Federal Railroad Administration and international rail transit authorities, confirm that the passenger car remains the safest location after a derailment in the vast majority of incidents.

Stay inside the train when¶

• There is no fire, smoke, gas odor, or flooding in the car.
• The car structure remains stable and is not teetering on an elevated bridge structure.
• Outside conditions involve dark subway tunnels with active high voltage rails, or rural main lines where high speed freight trains may operate on parallel tracks.
• The train crew is actively assessing the track bed and communicating with rail traffic control.

Evacuate the train immediately when¶

• Visible fire spreads inside or directly under your car.
• Dense, acrid smoke fills the cabin and impairs breathing.
• Hazardous chemical spills occur from freight cars on mixed rail corridors.
• Water rises inside an underwater subway tube or low lying cut.
• The car has stopped in a position where structural collapse or falling off an elevated trestle is imminent.

Understanding track and tunnel electrical dangers¶

Underground transit systems rely on massive electrical currents to move trains. Electrocution kills more passengers during unorganized self-evacuations than the derailment impact itself.

How to evacuate a subway car safely¶

If you must evacuate due to smoke, fire, or direct orders from the conductor, take deliberate and disciplined steps.

Step 1: Use end doors first¶

Whenever possible, evacuate through the front or rear end doors of the train car into an adjacent undamaged car, or down the emergency end ramps to track level.

• Side passenger doors sit 1.2 to 1.5 meters (4 to 5 feet) above the ballast and track bed. Jumping out side doors frequently causes broken ankles, leg fractures, head trauma, and brings passengers directly into contact with the energized third rail running alongside the cars.
• If side doors must be used because end doors are jammed, locate the emergency manual door release handle (typically mounted in an overhead cabinet above the door frame or beside the door behind a break glass panel).
• Lower yourself down carefully by gripping the door frame. Do not jump blindly into the dark.

Step 2: Form a controlled line¶

• Designate able bodied individuals to climb down first to assist children, elderly passengers, and individuals with disabilities.
• Leave all non critical luggage, backpacks, and strollers on the train. Carrying bags slows down the evacuation line and blocks narrow tunnel walkways.
• Keep groups together. Hold hands or maintain physical contact with companions in dense smoke.

Step 3: Walk in the correct tunnel corridor¶

Subway tunnels contain specific infrastructure designed for pedestrian evacuation during an emergency:

• Follow the conductor or illuminated markers: If a transit employee is present, follow their instructions strictly. If no crew is available, locate the illuminated green emergency exit signs on the tunnel walls.
• Walk between the running rails: If you must walk on the ground, walk in the center of the track bed between the two running rails where the train wheels travel. This center path keeps you farthest from the energized third rail mounted on the outside perimeter.
• Look for emergency walkways: Many modern subway tunnels feature elevated concrete walkways along one wall, raised 60 cm (2 feet) to 1 meter (3 feet) above track level with handrails. Use these catwalks if they are accessible and free of smoke.
• Locate blue light stations: Major subway networks install blue lights at regular intervals along tunnel walls (typically every 150 to 250 meters, or 500 to 800 feet). A blue light station contains an emergency telephone connecting directly to transit control, a traction power disconnect switch, and a fire extinguisher.

Managing smoke in an underground subway tunnel¶

Subway tunnels act like giant flues and chimneys during a fire. Tunnel ventilation systems can push air at high velocity, pulling smoke along the path of travel.

• Check air movement: Observe the direction smoke is drifting. If possible, walk against the smoke toward fresh incoming air, provided that path leads toward an accessible station or exit.
• Stay low: Hot air and toxic gases (carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide from burning interior composites) rise to the ceiling. Crouch down and walk in the lowest 1 meter (3 feet) of clean air if visibility drops.
• Use flashlights or mobile phone lights sparingly: Mobile phone lights are helpful, but keep screen brightness adjusted to preserve battery. Direct light toward the ground immediately ahead of your feet to spot track debris, cables, and rail ties.
• Never touch walls blindly: Tunnel walls carry high voltage transmission cables, signaling wires, and exposed conduit. Keep your hand near the wall for spatial orientation if needed, but avoid grasping loose wires or open junction boxes.

Evacuation from elevated tracks and bridges¶

Derailments on elevated rail structures, such as elevated urban rail or river bridges, introduce severe fall hazards.

• Do not self evacuate onto elevated trackways: Catwalks on bridges and elevated structures can be extremely narrow, corroded, or open to hundred foot drops. There are no guardrails between parallel tracks on many older elevated structures.
• Wait for specialized rescue: Fire department ladder trucks, aerial platforms, and rescue teams are trained to extract passengers safely from elevated spans.
• Secure yourself inside the car: Move to the center of the rail car, sit down on the floor away from doors, and wait for emergency services to position boarding platforms and fall arrest safety lines.

Special considerations for commuter and intercity trains¶

Commuter and intercity rail lines (such as Amtrak in the United States, VIA Rail in Canada, or regional high speed rail lines across Europe and Asia) differ significantly from urban subway networks:

• Diesel and electric hazards: Commuter trains may carry thousands of liters of diesel fuel, creating heavy fire and explosion hazards under derailed locomotives. Move upwind and uphill immediately if diesel fuel is leaking.
• High speed parallel tracks: Mainline railroads often feature two to four tracks with trains traveling at speeds exceeding 160 km/h (100 mph). Never cross adjacent tracks or stand in the track right of way. Stay at least 15 meters (50 feet) away from all tracks outside the train.
• Remote locations: Intercity derailments may occur miles away from road access. If forced to leave the train, gather in a designated group in a clear clearing adjacent to the tracks, build visibility markers, and dial your local emergency number.

Checklist for train and subway safety¶

• Wait for train motion to stop completely before unbracing or moving.
• Check yourself and fellow passengers for bleeding, fractures, and spinal injury.
• Evaluate the car environment for fire, heavy smoke, and electrical sparking.
• Listen for conductor instructions over the train intercom.
• Treat all rails, third rails, and hanging overhead cables as 100 percent energized.
• Evacuate through end doors down center ramps whenever possible.
• Walk between running rails in the center of the track bed, never stepping on the third rail.
• Follow tunnel wall emergency signs to the nearest station platform or emergency exit shaft.

Related guides¶

• Car in water
• Car breakdown on highways
• Chemical spills and hazardous material leaks
• Head injuries and concussions
• Emergency telephone numbers worldwide