First published in 1955, and the result of Rolt's investigation and study of reports by H.M. Inspectorate of Railways, this book records the history of railway disasters, covering every major accident from 1840 to 1957 which resulted in a change in railway working practice. It reveals the evolution of safety devices and methods which came to make the British railway carriage one of the safest modes of transport in the world. This edition uses the last text produced by Rolt in 1966 and includes a new introduction by fellow railway historian Professor Jack Simmons.