European Railroad Discussion > UK Passsenger train wreck today near Bedford with fatality

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cy8dy2pr8ymt

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/london-england-train-crash-east-midlands-railway/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bedford-east-midlands-railway-keir-starmer-network-rail-east-of-england-ambulance-service-b2999474.html

We won't know the cause for sure until an official investigation is complete, but has there been anything heard about what might have caused the accident? Brake failure? The driver of rhe second train ran a signal? The first train was at fault?
Victor Baird

Posted from Android

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> We won't know the cause for sure until an official
> investigation is complete, but has there been
> anything heard about what might have caused the
> accident? Brake failure? The driver of rhe second
> train ran a signal? The first train was at fault?
> Victor Baird
>
> Posted from Android

The RAIB will release a preliminary report shortly after their initial investigations are complete, the full report will take longer, especially if criminal charges are brought against any of the parties.

From The Independent today

"On Wednesday, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said in an interim report that Mr Burton’s train proceeded past a red signal near the scene of the crash in Elstow at 5.15pm on Friday."

If they have sort sort of penalty brake or automatic train stop for passing a red signal, it evidently work, or not well enough. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> If they have sort sort of penalty brake or
> automatic train stop for passing a red signal, it
> evidently work, or not well enough. 

That line has Automatic Warning System. It sounds a bell approaching a clear; a horn approaching a not clear (yellow or red). If the driver (engineer) fails to acknowledge the horn, it stops the train. If the driver acknowledges, the system does nothing more.

TAW

86235 Wrote:
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> From The Independent today
>
> "On Wednesday, the Rail Accident Investigation
> Branch (RAIB) said in an interim report that Mr
> Burton’s train proceeded past a red signal near
> the scene of the crash in Elstow at 5.15pm on
> Friday."

The report: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/collision-between-two-passenger-trains-near-elstow

TAW

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If they have sort sort of penalty brake or
> > automatic train stop for passing a red signal,
> it
> > evidently work, or not well enough. 
>
> That line has Automatic Warning System. It sounds
> a bell approaching a clear; a horn approaching a
> not clear (yellow or red). If the driver
> (engineer) fails to acknowledge the horn, it stops
> the train. If the driver acknowledges, the system
> does nothing more.
>
> TAW


There's also the TPWS - Train Protection Warning System - which should have stopped the train after it passed a stop signal, but much depends on where the train in front had stopped

86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TAW Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > joemvcnj Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > If they have sort sort of penalty brake or
> > > automatic train stop for passing a red
> signal,
> > it
> > > evidently work, or not well enough. 
> >
> > That line has Automatic Warning System. It
> sounds
> > a bell approaching a clear; a horn approaching
> a
> > not clear (yellow or red). If the driver
> > (engineer) fails to acknowledge the horn, it
> stops
> > the train. If the driver acknowledges, the
> system
> > does nothing more.
> >
> > TAW
>
>
> There's also the TPWS - Train Protection Warning
> System - which should have stopped the train after
> it passed a stop signal, but much depends on where
> the train in front had stopped

Apparently, TPWS has not been installed at that location. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly90nqpryko
 

railsmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>> Apparently, TPWS has not been installed at that
> location.
> https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly90nqpryko
>  

Somewhere in what I was reading yesterday, there was a comment that to save money, TPWS was installed for interlocking home signals - 'places of specific danger from SPAD' - but not intermediate block signals.

TAW

The link provided by TAW yesterday is extremely informative. Worth reading.

This article was published online by the British publication Modern Railways. The first part is based on the RAIB report cited in earlier posts. The second part describes recovery efforts to clear and re-open the line, and responses by officialdom.

https://www.modernrailways.com/article/raib-probes-signal-passed-danger-bedford-crash?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Modern%20Railways%20Newsletter%2C%2026%20June%202026&utm_id=01KW1JDF62RVKCZ0QEBDXXV3YV&_kx=TOTSZqeQOzsO6dcCN8QH4bmH4eZexs_1YI3VeGbMQ6U.UFfxQh