Dead and injured of 1957 rail disaster to be honoured by plaque

A maroon plaque honoring those who were killed and injured in the 1957 rail disaster will be unveiled at a ceremony on Saturday at 12:00 BST. The event in St John’s will include speeches, a local choir, readings and music. It also recognizes the community’s efforts at the time of the crash, when residents helped injured passengers despite extremely harrowing scenes. The following day, a debate in parliament praised people in St John’s for “so unselfishly” offering their homes and belongings to rescuers. Investigators later estimated about 1,500 people were on the electric train and 700 on the steam train, with recovery and track clearance taking more than a week.