Train came ‘close to overturning’ when driver went more than twice the speed limit
This is the harrowing moment a train came ‘close to overturning’ after the driver went more than twice the speed limit.
CCTV footage shows passengers being thrown from their seats, while suitcases and backpacks went flying from the luggage storage above the seats.
No one was seriously injured in the incident, which happened in April 2022 but the Rail Accidents Investigation Branch (RAIB) warned the outcome ‘could have been much worse’.
Investigators said the driver was going 76mph – more than double the allowed speed of 30mph – while travelling through Peterborough.
A report published today confirmed the train was ‘close to a speed that would have led to it overturning’.
It added that it was likely ‘some of the wheels of the vehicles lifted off the rails’ – and that around half the passenger injuries had been caused by falling luggage.
After the incident the train stopped at Peterborough, which was not a scheduled stop.
Lumo considered getting people off the train, but an off-duty driver who was on the train drove it on to London.
The original driver had joined the company in 2020 and was on their 22nd run on this route.
He was breathalysed and screened by British Transport Police (BTP) for alcohol and drugs, but both came back negative.
The investigation ruled the immediate cause of the incident was that the driver had expected to be using another, faster, line through the area as he had done previously.
The report said: ‘Train 21Y80 passed over a junction at excessive speed because the driver had controlled the speed appropriately for the through route rather than the slower, diverging route.’.
A number of causal factors were also identified. The report noted: ‘The driver did not react appropriately to the junction indicator at P468 signal.
According to investigators, this was a result of ‘insufficient’ training by the train company.
RAIB has made four recommendations to Lumo, including reviewing its processes to control risk of overspeeding at junctions and minimising the risk of falling luggage.
Network Rail has also been urged to identify junctions with greater potential for overspeeding and implementing risk control measures.
Andrew Hall, chief inspector of rail accidents, stressed it was ‘absolutely necessary’ for Network Rail and train operators to work together to mitigate risks.
A Lumo spokesperson said: ‘We would like to thank the Rail Accident Investigation Branch for its report and have taken this matter extremely seriously.
‘We have already implemented all the recommended actions that have arisen since the incident in April 2022.
‘These include how we train our drivers and how we control and manage luggage on board our trains.
‘The report also highlights that there were a number of factors that caused the incident, and there are a now a number of important lessons for all rail operators to learn, which we fully support.
‘A separate train operator experienced a similar incident at the same location this year, so its important that the industry heeds the advice in this report and ensures drivers are fully aware of the particular characteristics of this junction at Peterborough, and others like it.
‘We are working closely with industry partners, including other operators and Network Rail, to play our part in this.
‘We would like to apologise again to the passengers who were travelling with us on April 17, 2022.
‘It was a distressing experience for all involved. We have cooperated fully with the RAIB and have learned the lessons to come from this.
‘The learnings from this incident will contribute to the continued improvement of safety standards across the UK rail network.’
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