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Modane train crash of 1917
French history
Quick Facts
- Date:
- December 12, 1917
- Location:
- France
Modane train crash of 1917, train derailment in Modane, France, on Dec. 12, 1917, that killed more than 500 French soldiers. The French train was traveling from Turin, Italy, to Lyon, France, through a stretch of the Alps in southeastern France. It was carrying more than 1,000 soldiers, who had been stationed in northern Italy while fighting in World War I. The trip was planned as a reprieve from combat, with many of the men planning to reunite with their families for the Christmas holiday. Only one locomotive pulled the 19 cars. Though the locomotive could effectively move the heavy ...(100 of 181 words)