The Stéblová train disaster was a railway accident that occurred on 14 November 1960 at 17:42 CET on a single-track railway in Stéblová in Eastern Bohemia, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). At 17:42 CET, a passenger steam train 608 traveling at a speed of 55 km/h abreast collided with a diesel railcar 653 traveling at a speed of 60 km/h. 118 people died as a result of the accident and 110 were badly injured. It was the most tragic accident in the history of Czech railway transport. Trains Train 608 drove from Liberec via Hradec Králové to Pardubice. It was hauled by the steam locomotive type 354.7128 from the engine house Hradec Králové and operated by the train driver and an assistant/fireman. Behind the locomotive, were post car type F 9-2236, freight car type Ztr 1-36700, personal car Bi 3-3323, service car Dd 7-2286 and eight more personal cars. The train crew was composed of a head guard, senior conductor, junior conductor, and train attendant. Train 653 drove from Pardubice to the Hradec Králové at distance 22 kilometers. It was composed of the diesel railcar M 131.1272, four personal cars (Blm 5-2338, Blm 5-2333, BDlm 6-6890, BDlm 6-6899) and another diesel railcar M 131.1327 at the train's end. The machine crew was composed of two train drivers accompanied by the head guard and conductor. According to the train diagram, both trains should have passed in the Stéblová station, which has three tracks. At that time, the station was secured by the mechanical equipment with central interlock and mechanical signals in both directions. Disaster course Events before disaster Train 653 left Pardubice at 17:22, one minute behind schedule. Train 608 left Hradec Králové at 17:25, seven minutes behind schedule. The Stéblová station dispatcher set the route for train 608 to track number 1 and assigned train 653 to track number 2; this was the reverse of what was usually done. Train 608 arrived at Stéblová station at 17:40. The station dispatcher left the office, but after a while he returned to set the route for train 653. The switchman went away to operate switch number 4 to set up for the future departure of the train 653, and also to lift the crossing gates after train 608 passed through. Meanwhile, the station dispatcher confirmed by telephone with Čeperka (the station from which train 608 arrived) that the track was empty, and