In a railway accident, telescoping occurs when the underframe of one vehicle overrides that of another, and smashes through the second vehicle's body. Accidents where telescoping occurred are numerous and include:
- The Illinois Central Gulf commuter rail crash in Chicago
- Rail accidents in Winsford
- Railway accidents in New South Wales
- Seer Green rail crash
To reduce the chance of telescoping, rail and tramway vehicles are often provided with an anticlimber: a horizontally ridged plate at the end of the chassis, which in a collision will engage with the anticlimber on the next car. Illustrations at these external links:
