Woman in Mexico hit and killed by CPKC steam train

NOPALA DE VILLAGRAN, Mexico – A 29-year-old woman was struck and killed today as she attempted to take a photo during the passage of the CPKC “Final Spike Steam Tour” train in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, according to multiple media reports.

News site Debate reports that the woman was standing next to the tracks trying to take a selfie with the train’s locomotive; photos of the moment before the woman was hit are widely shared on news sites and social media, and a video of the accident is also circulating. Other photos show a large number of spectators crowding the tracks near the Aragón station in the municipality of Nopala de Villagrán, where CP 4-6-4 No. 2816 and the CPKC Executive train were scheduled to make a 20-minute stop at 12:25 p.m. The spectators reportedly ignored instructions from on-site security personnel to keep a safe distance from the tracks.

When emergency responders arrived, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She was identified, but her name was not released. Other family members were reportedly with her at the time of the accident.

The incident site is about 60 miles northwest of Mexico City.

The incident is sadly reminiscent of a 2018 incident in which a bystander was struck and killed by a Union Pacific steam special, 4-8-4 No. 844, in Commerce City, Colorado. That incident also involved a woman who was too close to the tracks while attempting to take a photo of the passing train (see “Details emerge about pedestrian struck and killed…”) Trains News Wire, July 23, 2018, and “Investigators rule UP 844 death an accident…,” News Wire, August 5, 2018).