Which is the safest car on a train?

What is the safest passenger car location when traveling by train?

The safest location on a passenger train is generally considered to be one of the middle cars. These cars are less vulnerable in front or rear collisions and are less likely to derail than the cars at either end of the train.

I always get stuck on this when I book a train ticket. Everyone has a theory, but my own feeling is that the middle is the place to be, not the back.

I remember taking the Amtrak Northeast Regional from Providence down to New York Penn last April, maybe the 15th. I was in the third car of five and I kept thinking about it. Watching the train bend around the coast in Connecticut, the front and rear cars looked so exposed, like the ends of a whip.

That old journal talks about the rear car being safer and the front one having less dust. The dust part just makes me think of old black-and-white movies, not something you worry about today. The rear car idea just doesn't sit right with me.

My logic is simple, its probably not even real science. The front takes the first hit, and the back car can get whipped off the tracks or hit by whatever is behind you. The middle seems insulated by the sheer bulk of everything else. It just feels more stable, more anchored.

So I always pick a car right in the dead center. It’s not about being worried all the time, it's just a small choice that makes the whole trip feel a little calmer for me. A little piece of mind.