Train robbery

Since the invention of locomotives in the early 19th century, trains have often been the target ofrobbery,in which the goal is to stealmoneyor other valuables.Train robberywas especially common during the 19th century and is commonly associated with gangs of outlaws in theAmerican Old West.It has continued into the 21st century, with criminals usually targeting freight trains carrying commercial cargo, or targeting passengers of public transportation for their valuables.

History

Background

Prior to the development ofrailroads,stagecoachrobbery was common.^[1]Especially in Europe and North America, stagecoaches and mail couriers were frequently targeted for their cargo. As coaches and horses were phased out in favor of trains, which could haul far more freight and passengers, so too did robbers adjust their targets.^[2]

Victorian England

Several major train robberies occurred in England in the mid-19th century. The Great Western Mail Robbery occurred in 1849. In two robberies on theBristol and Exeter Railway,two passengers climbed from their carriage to the mail van and back. They were discovered atBridgwaterafter the second robbery.^[3]One was Henry Poole, a former guard on theGreat Western Railway,dismissed for misconduct (possibly on suspicion of another robbery);^[4]the other was Edward Nightingale, the son of George Nightingale, accused, but acquitted,^[5]of robbing theDover mail coachin 1826,^[6]when two thieves had dressed in identical clothes to gain an alibi for the other.^[7]They weretransportedfor 15 years.^[8]Henry was sent toBermudaon theSir Robert Seppings (ship)in December 1850 whilst Edward was transported toFremantleon theSea Parkin January 1854.^[9]^[10]

On May 15, 1855, a train carrying gold departedLondon,England, forBoulogne,France, and was found upon arrival to be missing over £12,000 worth of gold and money. The incident became known as theGreat Gold Robbery of 1855.Four men were arrested in 1856 for the crime.^[11]

American Old West

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, train robberies were frequent in theAmerican Old West,where trains carrying valuable cargo, likepayrollshipments, were a frequent target. These shipments would be guarded by anexpressmanwhose duty was to protect the cargo of the "express car".^{[citation needed]}Changing social and economic situations after theAmerican Civil Warled to the development of gangs and individuals who took up train robbery as a means of income. After the war, many soldiers were faced with little economic opportunity upon returning home, and train robbing required little specialized skill. Other robbers held the railroad companies in contempt, particularly those from the Midwest and West.^[12]The first post-Civil War robberies occurred inIndiana;Wells FargoandAmerican Express Companycars carrying money and other expensive materials were common targets.^[13]

Initially, trains were perceived to be largely impenetrable—especially when compared with the earlier stagecoach—and were often unguarded or only lightly guarded. Early trains passed through large stretches of rural landscape with little to no communication available, leaving them vulnerable to attack and hindering investigation and response by law enforcement. Early bandits were rarely caught.^[14]The sensationalization of these crimes in newspapers,dime novels,andWild West showsadded to the appeal forcopycatand repeat crimes.^[15]

1873 train robbery by theJames–Younger GangnearAdair, Iowa

Infamous train robbers from this era includeButch Cassidy,Bill Miner,andJesse James.^[16]Jesse James is mistakenly thought to have completed the first successful train robbery in theAmerican Westwhen on July 21, 1873, theJames–Younger Gangtook US$3,000 from aRock Island Railroadtrain after derailing it southwest of the town ofAdair, Iowa.^[17]However, the first peacetime train robbery in the United States occurred on October 6, 1866, when robbers boarded anOhio & Mississippitrain shortly after it leftSeymour, Indiana.They broke into one safe and tipped the other off the train before jumping off. ThePinkerton National Detective Agencylater traced the crime to theReno Gang.There was oneearlier train robbery in May 1865,but because it was committed by armed guerrillas and occurred shortly after the end of the Civil War, it is not considered to be the first train robbery in the United States.^[18]

Train robberies peaked in the 1890s. Although they occurred in a wide variety of states,California,Missouri,Texas,andOklahomarecorded the highest numbers.^[18]Notable robberies during this period include theUnion Pacific Big Springs robberyin 1877, theCanyon Diablo Train Robberyin 1889, theFairbank Train Robberyin 1900, and theBaxter's Curve Train Robberyin 1912.

Several factors contributed to the decline of train robberies around the turn of the 20th century and the decades following, although they did not stop entirely. Ruddell and Decker (2017) write, "train robberies were eliminated, in large part, due to making targets less attractive, increasing guardianship, and reducing offender motivation or in other words taking routine precaution".^[13]Law enforcement agencies and railroad companies, which once struggled to investigate crimes and arrest perpetrators, began creating or recruiting specialized task forces, such as thePinkerton National Detective Agency.^[19]These bodies relentlessly pursued offenders, often for years, and imposed harsher sentences, which deterred further crime. Railroad companies spent more than they lost from the robberies on investigating and preventing thefts; "that for every dollar that was stolen in a train robbery, five dollars were spent on apprehending offenders".^[20]Trains also became faster and thus more difficult to board.^[21]Wireless communications spread and the population and law enforcement presence in once-sparse areas grew, making crime reporting and response much faster.^[15]The first train robbery to be reported by telephone occurred in 1907.^[22]

In 1923, what would later be dubbed the "Last Great Train Robbery", theDeAutremont Brotherstargeted aSouthern Pacific Railroadcarrying mail. The would-be robbers attempted to breach the mail car usingdynamitebut accidentally used too much, causing a large explosion that destroyed the targeted goods; ultimately, four people died in the attack.^[23]Southern Pacific and the Pinkertons pursued the gang for years and distributed 3.5 million leaflets worldwide for information, eventually apprehending the members. Train robbery had become obsolete by the 1930s in the United States, and many criminals began insteadtargeting banks.^[20]

The outlaw culture in the American Old West became romanticized in Hollywood'sWestern films,such asThe Great Train Robberyin 1903.^[19]Some serial train robbers, likeWilliam L. Carlisle,becamefolk heroes.^[19]

20th century

Train robbery saw a marked decline as the 20th century progressed, although isolated incidents still occurred. Train robberies outside the United States were not as common before the mid-20th century; additionally, many robberies in Canada and Mexico during that time were perpetrated by American outlaws.^[2]Examples of 20th-century robberies outside of the US include the 1906Rogów raidin Poland; the 1908Bezdany raidin Lithuania; the 1923Lincheng Outragein China; the 1925Kakori Train Robberyin India; and the 1976Sallins Train robberyin Ireland.

Some countries were an exception to this rule.Egypt,thena British colony,struggled with an epidemic of train robberies during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the time, Egypt had high rates of poverty and social inequality, leading some citizens to turn to crime; some of these were train employees who were underpaid. An unorganized and ill-equipped police force hampered efforts to resolve cases; during this time, only about 17% of train robbers were apprehended. Some gangs were sheltered by local residents, and in turn gangs often used their profits to support their communities. Most cases occurred inGharbia Governorate,Beheira Governorate,andCairoandGiza.Egypt established its Railway Police force in 1893, and this combined with new advances in security and forensic technology led to the gradual decrease of train robberies after 1904.^[24]

TheGreat Train Robberyof 1963, the UK's most infamous occurrence, occurred inBuckinghamshirein 1963. On April 8, a group of robbers targeted aPost Officetrain enroute fromGlasgowtoLondonand stole over £2.3 million in parcels. Apprehended members of the gang were sentenced to a collective total of 307 years imprisonment.^[25]

21st century

Modern train robbery still exists, although it no longer resembles the mythos set by Hollywood Westerns. Thieves often target train cars carrying cargo for large corporations, such asWalmartandAmazon;^[19]and are most interested in commercial goods, particularly electronics, or raw industrial materials like metals and textiles.^[21]In the United States, theLos Angeles Basinis the most common spot for freight to be stolen en route. Other hotspots include areas near large depots, likeDetroit,Chicago,andMemphis.^[19]

In Mexico in 2011, train theft had increased by 120% from the previous year.^[21]Railroads in the south-central part of the country, such asZacatecas,Veracruz,Puebla,andGuanajuato,are at the highest risk.^[21]The area aroundAcultzingohas the highest rate of train robberies, recording 521 in 2017–2018 alone.^[26]

A string of train robberies in India have targeted both cargo and passengers. On August 9, 2016, a group of robbers drilled a hole into the roof of a secure car aboard theChennai–Salem Expressand stole₹57.8 million ($860,000; £570,000).^[27]The train had been transporting ₹342crorefrom theIndian Overseas Bankto theReserve Bank of IndiainChennai.^[28]The Indian media dubbed it "the great train robbery".^[27]Eight arrests were made in 2018 in connection with the heist.^[29]^[30]Since 2023, several instances of armeddacoitsboarding trains and robbing money, mobile phones, and valuables from passengers have been reported aboard Indian passenger trains. Multiple people have been injured in these attacks.^[31]^[32]^[33]

In 2021, train robberies inLos Angelesresulted in hundreds of discarded packages to be strewn about the tracks. Trains were targeted on a section of tracks that they must slow down on and that are easy to access. Thieves used bolt cutters to cut open the locks on shipping containers and took the packages inside. The dropped packages were then picked over by thieves as well as passerby.Union Pacificestimated that losses were in the millions from all the stolen merchandise.^[34]By late 2021, an average of 90 containers were broken into daily.^[35]TheLos Angeles Police Departmentassembled the Train Burglary Task Force in response to the robberies.^[19]

Subway robbery

Methods

The nature of train robbery varies. Cargo can be stolen from either a moving or stationary train in a variety of ways. Perpetrators of train robberies may work alone or in groups and might be committed bygangsor otherorganized crime.Sometimes, gangs might recuit local residents to partake in the robbery.^[26]Goods are often stolen from unattended train cars and in transitional areas like rail yards, parking lots, and warehouses. Thieves mightsabotagethe train itself and bypass security measures, either causing it to drop cargo, creating a distraction, or triggering an emergency stop, thereby creating an easier method of boarding the train. Sometimes, thieves will climb onto the train and pass or spill cargo onto the ground below, where packages can be retrieved.^[19]^[21]

However, as was much more common historically but is still done today, robbers sometimes use more violent means of breaching a train. Some will obstruct orsabotage the railroaditself in an attempt toderaila moving train. Some usedynamiteto damage the rails or train itself to gain entry.^[21]

Before the invention ofdynamite,it was almost impossible to break into safes. Criminals required thecombination lockto open safes and often relied on the courier to provide it. Following its invention and widespread use, it became much easier to break into safes and rob trains. Criminals sometimes robbed passengers of the train'scarriagesatgunpoint,stealing theirjewelryorcurrency.^{[citation needed]}

Contrary to the method romanticized byHollywood,outlaws in the American Old West were never known to jump fromhorsebackonto a moving train. Usually, they would either board the train normally and wait for a good time to initiate theheist,or they would stop orderailthe train and then begin the holdup.^{[citation needed]}

Effects

Train theft results in significant financial and commercial losses. Ase-commercehas increased demand for large quantities of goods to be transported even longer distances, and as trains create fewer emissions than cargo trucks, the size of trains has also increased.^[19]Ferromex,Mexico's largest railroad company, reported that its carload volume had increased by 6.6% in 2011.^[21]

Financial losses to train robbery are difficult to calculate and vary from one crime to another.^[21]Robberies during the American Old West period resulted in an average loss of $9,980 per crime.^[36]In 2006, 11,711 train robberies in China were reported, with losses totalling ¥41.7 million ($6.8 million).^[37]

Sometimes, train drivers do not realize a car has been breached, and packages may continue to fall from the train, causing more loss as cargo is damaged by the fall or the train's wheels.^[19]Train derailment, caused either directly or indirectly, is also frequent.^[21]One such derailment in China caused a pileup in a railway tunnel that cost ¥3 million to clear, and millions more in indirect costs and loss of income.^[37]Additionally, packages or debris falling from a train can damage surrounding infrastructure. In one case in China, sheet metal being thrown from a train by robbers damaged nearby power lines, causing a blackout.^[37]

Humanitarian cost

Especially during the early decades of train robbery, violence against train staff and passengers, both directly and indirectly, was common. A 2017 review of 241 train robberies in the United States between 1866 and 1930 found that 91% were committed at gunpoint, 28% used dynamite, 29% resulted in shootings, 13.5% led to deaths, and 7.5% included derailments.^[36]One 1896 train derailment caused by robbers resulted in the deaths of about 27 passengers.^[13]Such violence only added to the high mortality rate of railroad employees, which during the first decades of operation averaged about 12,000 deaths annually.^[2]Additionally, perpetrator death was high; in almost 10% of cases, robbers died at the scene or during apprehension. Others were later executed,lynched,or died by suicide.^[38]

Today, violence against train employees is rare, and the majority of robberies on freight trains are nonviolent, as robbers prefer to avoid confrontation in most cases.^[19]^[37]However, passengers aboard carrier trains generally still fear being victimized. A 2024 study on Swedish rail safety reported 19% of surveyed passengers feared robbery while on or waiting for a train.^[39]

Investigation and prevention

Railroad companies have long hired private security agencies to protect cargo during transport, or even establish their own internal police forces to patrol railroads. They may also hire private detectives to investigate and deter theft.^[19]In the early decades of train robbery, sheriffs would often recruitvigilanteposses of citizens to apprehend perpetrators. Of the robberies during 1965–1930 studied by Ruddell and Decker, up to 90% of all train robbers were eventually caught. Those who survived the arrest—30% died during the confrontation—were sentenced to prison and sometimes facedcapital punishmentor werelynched.^[40]

In response to increased cargo train traffic, the Mexican federal government made train robbery a federal crime.^[21]China has its own railway police force, which in 2013 employed approximately 80,000 officers.^[41]Chinese cargo trains transporting electronics are usually accompanied by armed guards.^[42]

Several preventative measures are taken to deter and complicate robberies. These include increased security,target hardening,heavier punishments for convicted criminals, and collaboration with different law enforcement bodies.^[22]New technology, such as motion sensors, cameras, anti-theft doors, GPS, and smart seals are all used to deter theft.^[19]^[42]

Notable train robbers and gangs

Some of the most notable train robbers and gangs are:

United Kingdom

1963 Great Train Robbery

United States

Elsewhere

In fiction

In Westerns

Train robberies are a common depiction inWestern filmsand media. The first movie to depict a train robbery was the 1903 silent filmThe Great Train Robbery,produced byEdison Studios.This 11-minute film depicts a gang of outlaws who rob a train, only to later be hunted down by vigilantes and killed in a shootout.The Great Train Robberyis credited with popularizing and setting a narrative standard for the enture Western film genre.^[43]Since then, dozens of Westerns have depicted train robberies, including:

The Great K & A Train Robbery(1926)
Jesse James(1939), based on the life ofthe titular character
Whispering Smith(1948), starringAlan Ladd
Rage at Dawn(1955), starringRandolph ScottandForrest Tucker
Man of the West(1958), starringGary Cooper
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid(1969), starringPaul NewmanandRobert Redford
The Wild Bunch(1969), starringWilliam Holden
One More Train to Rob(1971), starringGeorge Peppard
The Train Robbers(1973), starringJohn Wayne
The Missouri Breaks(1976), starringJack NicholsonandMarlon Brando
The Grey Fox(1982), based on the life ofBill Miner
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford(2007), another biopic

In the 2018 video gameRed Dead Redemption 2,train robberies are a source of income for the player.^[44]One of the game's cutscenes recreated the opening train robbery scene inThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Fordshot-for-shot.^[45]

Other examples

Other notable train robberies in media include:

O Assalto ao Trem Pagador[pt;fr](1962) a Brazilian film which portrays the 1960Japeri Train Robbery[pt]
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three,film (1974), starringWalter Matthau
- The 2009 remake,starringDenzel WashingtonandJohn Travolta
The First Great Train Robbery,film, (1979), starringSean Connery
The Chase,novel byClive Cussler
Tough Guys(1986) a comedy film about two elderly train robbers, starringKirk DouglasandBurt Lancaster
Buster (film)
Money Train,film (1995), starringWoody HarrelsonandWesley Snipes
"The Train Job",an episode of the TV seriesFireflythat involved a train robbery
"Dead Freight",an episode of the TV seriesBreaking Badin whichmethylamineis stolen from a train
Solo: A Star Wars Story,film (2018), includes a train heist scene^[46]
Marighella,Brazilian film byWagner Moura,with Seu Jorge on the role of Marighella (2021)

References

Citations

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^Brice, Anne (April 30, 2019)."How a botched train robbery led to the birth of modern American criminology".Berkeley News.RetrievedJuly 1,2024.
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