The Modern Era Rail Accidents
Date |
Killed |
Injured |
Details |
|---|---|---|---|
19 December 2011 |
0 |
3 |
West Wales Line, Whitland, Carmarthenshire, 19 December 2011: The 0908 Arriva Trains Wales service from Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly (1W21), Class 175 Coradia unit 175002 struck a hay lorry at the Llanboidy half-barrier level crossing on a minor road near a spot called Crossing Cottage at 0950. Three people were injured, but none majorly. It was thought the barrier arm came down on the lorry. The driver of the hay lorry was arrested. |
21 November 2011 |
0 |
1 |
East Coast Main Line, Killingworth, Newcastle upon Tyne, 21 November 2011: The 1700 East Coast service from Edinburgh Waverley to London King's Cross (1E21) struck a glancing blow to a 12 year old girl at a level crossing at around 1830, severing her arm. The arm was retrieved, and surgeons attempted to reattach the arm |
25 September 2011 |
0 |
2 |
Fen Line, Saddlebow, Norfolk, 25 September 2011: First Capital Connect Class 365 Networker EMU 365532, forming the 10:10 service from Kings Lynn to London King's Cross (1T58), hit a tractor towing a trailer full of vegetables on a level crossing between Kings Lynn and Downham Market. Both drivers required medical assistance, but none of the roughly 40 passengers were injured. The front of the train was damaged, as were two overhead line support stanchions. |
27 July 2011 |
0 |
0 |
West Coast Main Line, Edinburgh, 27 July 2011; First ScotRail Class 170 Turbostar unit 170393 derailed at Princes Street Gardens between Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket. The front four wheels of the last carriage derailed - the investigation is set to focus on a set of points the train had just passed over.[10] Neither the driver nor the conductor were injured, and the line was reopened fully at 4:30am on 29 July 2011. |
05 February 2011 |
0 |
0 |
Caldervale Line, Halifax, West Yorkshire, 5 February 2011; Northern Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter DMU 158851, forming the 0555 service from Hebden Bridge to Leeds (2T02) derailed after strucking rocks on the line at Dryclough Junction, just south of Halifax station at 0607. None of the eight passengers and two crew were injured. The rocks had been deposited there due to a retaining wall collapsing during heavy rain. |
31 January 2011 |
0 |
0 |
West Wales Lines, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, 31 January 2011; Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 Coradia DMU 175108, forming the 08:30 Manchester Piccadilly-Milford Haven service (1V75), hit a trailer at about 13:30. The trailer was being towed by a tractor, but had been left on the line while the driver, John Watkyn-James, fed his horses. Watkyns-James was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and a 36 month suspended prison term at Swansea Crown Court in October 2011. |
05 November 2010 |
0 |
6 |
New Guildford Line, Oxshott, Surrey, 5 November 2010; a cement mixer lorry fell off a road bridge, striking the 15:05 Guildford to London Waterloo service (2G46) composed of South West Trains Class 455 units 455741 and 455913. One passenger and the lorry driver were seriously injured; four other passengers received minor injuries. |
28 December 2010 |
0 |
0 |
Caldervale Line/North TransPennine, Calderbrook, Greater Manchester, 28 December 2010; First TransPennine Express Class 185 Pennine DMU 185144 was partly derailed at 01:23 in the Summit Tunnel between Littleborough and Walsden due to striking ice whilst working the 0038 Manchester Airport to York service (1P02). There were no injuries, but the unit was damaged. The unit was working the 0038 Manchester Airport to York service, and was to travel through the tunnel after the Christmas break. Ice had built up in the ventilation shafts, then melted and fallen onto the tracks in lumps as large as 25 tonnes. It took until 04:40 for the train to be evacuated, during which time ice continued to fall onto the train. |
17 August 2010 |
0 |
10 |
Gainsborough Line, Bures, Suffolk, 17 August 2010; National Express East Anglia Class 156 SuperSprinter DMU 156417 collided with a lorry on a level crossing on Sewage Works Roads in Little Cornard whilst working the 17:31 Sudbury - Marks Tey service (2T25). Ten people were injured, three seriously. Three passengers and the driver were trapped in the wreckage. |
06 June 2010 |
0 |
8 |
West Highland Line, Falls of Cruachan, Argyll and Bute, 6 June 2010; a ScotRail Class 156 SuperSprinter unit 156499 derailed near Falls of Cruachan due to a landslide whilst working the 18:20 Glasgow Queen Street - Oban service (1Y27). Eight people were injured. |
20 February 2010 |
0 |
0 |
Midland Main Line, East Langton, Leicestershire, 20 February 2010; East Midlands Trains Class 222 Meridian unit 222005 derailed at East Langton near to Market Harborough at high speed whilst working service the 14:55 London St Pancras – Sheffield service (1F45). Two wheels of a carriage derailed, but all of the seven carriages remained upright and the train was stopped safely with no injuries. |
22 January 2010 |
0 |
1 |
Far North Line, Dingwall, Highland, 22 January 2010; Class 158 Express Sprinter unit 158701 derailed at Dingwall whilst working the 17:15 Inverness to Ardgay service (2H75), leaving one passenger injured. |
16 January 2010 |
1 |
0 |
Welsh Marches Line, Moreton-on-Lugg, Herefordshire, 16 January 2010; Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 Coradia unit 175103 struck two cars on a level-crossing between Hereford and Leominster while working the 08:30 Manchester Piccadilly – Milford Haven service (1V75). One of the cars' passengers was killed.[18][19] The line was closed until the end of the following day. An investigation concluded that the signaller had erroneously opened the barriers as the train approached, believing it had already passed, after his attention had been taken up by a telephone call. |
04 January 2010 |
0 |
0 |
Highland Main Line, Carrbridge, Highlands, 4 January 2010; a freight train, hauled by DB Schenker Class 66 locomotive 66048 (for Stobart Rail) derailed at Carrbridge and ran down an embankment. An investigation is under way. |
02 December 2009 |
1 |
0 |
Near Leeds railway station, 2 December 2009. Network rail employee killed after being struck by train returning to depot while he was working trackside at Whitehall junction in Wortley, Leeds, west of Leeds railway station. |
02 September 2009 |
1 |
0 |
Cambrian Coast Line, Penrhyndeudraeth, 2 September 2009. Network Rail locomotive 97303 hit a car on a private level crossing just west of Penrhyndeudraeth station while working an ERTMS test, killing the car's occupant, 83 year old Sally Hudson, who lived in a house only accessible via the level crossing. A reduced service operated on the line for a day, with trains terminating at Harlech and Porthmadog. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death. It was noted that the telephone on site had not been used before the crash. |
18 February 2008 |
0 |
0 |
North Rode, Congleton, 18 December 2008; a 4×4 rolled onto the southbound track and was hit by an oncoming train. Part of the train derailed, leaving several passengers with minor injuries. Also caused severe delays and many cancellations. |
19 July 2008 |
0 |
3 |
Shrewsbury to Chester Line, Weston Rhyn, Shropshire, 19 July 2008; an Arriva Trains Wales Class 158 Express Sprinter unit (158824) crashed into a tractor at a railway crossing whilst working the 16:46 Gobowen – Chester service. There were 3 injuries, but no deaths. |
01 February 2008 |
0 |
3 |
Midland Main Line, Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, 1 February 2008; an East Midlands Trains Class 158 Express Sprinter unit (158856) working the 06:19 Nottingham to Norwich service hit a footbridge which had been knocked down by a tipper lorry delivering track ballast to land by the running track. The lorry driver and train driver were injured; the train driver suffered serious leg injuries. The only passenger injured suffered minor injuries. |
24 December 2007 |
0 |
0 |
Beattock Summit, 24 December 2007: Train carrying 240 people hit a sleeper while travelling at 80 mph. No reported injuries. |
10 May 2007 |
0 |
0 |
East Coast Main Line, King Edward VII Bridge, 10 May 2007; an EWS freight train derailed, causing major disruption along the Newcastle upon Tyne section of the East Coast Main Line. The cause was a combination of the track condition and a twisted wagon frame. |
01 March 2007 |
1 |
0 |
Swainsthorpe, 1 March 2007; 1 killed; car on level crossing |
23 February 2007 |
1 |
88 |
West Coast Main Line, Grayrigg, Cumbria, 23 February 2007; one killed, train derailed over a set of faulty points. |
25 September 2006 |
1 |
0 |
East Coast Main Line, Copmanthorpe, Yorkshire, 25 September 2006; one killed; car crashed through lineside fence onto track, train hit wreckage. |
05 December 2005 |
2 |
0 |
Elsenham, Essex, 5 December 2005; two teenage girls were killed by a train while using the station's pedestrian level crossing. |
10 July 2005 |
1 |
0 |
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, 10 July 2005; 1 killed - train driver: car on level crossing. |
30 June 2005 |
0 |
0 |
Chiltern Main Line, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, 30 June 2005; collapse of tunnel during construction, narrowly avoiding commuter train, no injuries. |
06 December 2004 |
2 |
Peterborough to Lincoln Line, Helpringham, Lincolnshire, 6 December 2004; 2 people killed on an unmanned level crossing by a Central Trains Class 153 Super Sprinter DMU. | |
06 November 2004 |
7 |
150 |
Reading to Taunton Line, Ufton Nervet, Berkshire, 6 November 2004; 7 killed, 150 injured: car on level crossing, (suicide). |
19 October 2004 |
0 |
0 |
Bristol to Exeter Line, Backwell, 19 October 2004; a First Great Western Class 143 Pacer unit 143613 working a Weston-super-Mare to Bristol Temple Meads service operated by First Great Western caught fire just outside Nailsea & Backwell. All passengers manage to escape safely from the blaze and fled onto tracks. |
15 February 2004 |
4 |
3 |
West Coast Main Line, Tebay, Cumbria, 15 February 2004; 4 killed; 3 injured: runaway work trolley caused by misuse (faulty brakes); ran down railway trackworkers. |
16 October 2003 |
0 |
1 |
Stafford to Manchester Line, Norton Bridge, Staffordshire, 16 October 2003; 1 injured: An intermodal train hauled by two Freightliner Class 86 locomotives collided with another stationary freight train, after passing a red signal. The cabs of the leading locomotive were badly damaged but the driver escaped with only minor injuries, although he had to be cut from the wreckage by the fire brigade. |
16 September 2003 |
0 |
0 |
East Coast Main Line, King's Cross, 16 September 2003; GNER train derailed after routing onto track with missing rail. |
03 August 2003 |
1 |
0 |
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, 3 August 2003; 1 killed - train driver: car on level crossing |
07 July 2003 |
3 |
0 |
Pershore, Worcestershire, 7 July 2003; 3 killed. |
08 April 2003 |
1 |
0 |
Cross Country Route, Dunhampstead (between Ashchurch and Bromsgrove), 8 April 2003; 1 killed (car driver); Royal Mail train from Plymouth to Low Fell struck car on level crossing (suicide). |
24 November 2002 |
0 |
31 |
Southall East, 24 November 2002; 31 injured: broken fishplate caused HST coach to derail; throwing ballast through windows. |
10 May 2002 |
7 |
76 |
East Coast Main Line, Potters Bar, 10 May 2002; 7 killed, 76 injured: undetected points fault; derailed carriage rolled, coming to rest on platforms. |
28 February 2002 |
1 |
14 |
Nocton, Lincolnshire, 28 February 2002; 1 killed in van, 14 injured on train; after van crashed through wall and fell onto track |
02 July 2001 |
0 |
1 |
Tisbury, 2 July 2001; 1 injured (train driver): Lorry became stuck on level crossing and was struck by commuter train. |
12 March 2001 |
0 |
0 |
Hither Green (2001), 12 March 2001; train passed signal at danger; hit train from behind. |
28 February 2001 |
10 |
82 |
East Coast Main Line, Selby (Great Heck), 28 February 2001; 10 killed and 82 seriously injured after and the driver of a Land Rover fell asleep and ran down embankment onto track where it was hit by passenger train and also a freight train. |
28 November 2000 |
0 |
1 |
Welwyn Garden City, 28 November 2000; 1 injured (train driver): empty Class 313 EMU derails; narrowly missing a drop into the bus station. |
01 November 2000 |
0 |
1 |
Lawrence Hill, Bristol, Cross Country Route, 1 November 2000; driver injured; due to incorrect brake operation an empty mail train passed 2 red lights and hit the back of a loaded coal train. |
17 October 2000 |
4 |
35 |
East Coast Main Line, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, 17 October 2000; 4 killed, 35 injured: derailment caused by broken rail; restaurant coach hit overhead catenary stanchion. |
05 October 1999 |
31 |
523 |
Great Western Main Line, Ladbroke Grove, 5 October 1999; 31 killed, 523 injured: driver passed signal at danger; head-on collision and fire; allegations that signal (SN109) was hard to see. |
23 June 1999 |
0 |
31 |
23 June 1999; 31 injured: train passed red signal; rear-end collision |
08 January 1999 |
0 |
4 |
8 January 1999; 4 injured: train passed signal at danger, converging collision: driver error |
19 September 1997 |
6 |
150 |
Great Western Main Line, Southall, 19 September 1997; 6 killed, 150 injured: signal passed at danger; collided with freight train crossing path; driver inattention and faulty Automatic Warning System equipment. |
04 February 1997 |
0 |
4 |
4 February 1997; 4 injured: derailment; overloaded train and poor track maintenance |
08 August 1996 |
1 |
69 |
West Coast Main Line, Watford; 8 August 1996; 1 killed, 69 injured: driver passed signal at danger, head on collision with empty stock |
08 March 1996 |
1 |
22 |
8 March 1996; 1 killed, 22 injured: axle box failure, train derailed across other tracks, mail train hit wreckage |
10 November 1995 |
0 |
1 |
Royal Oak tube station, 10 November 1995; 1 injured |
11 July 1995 |
0 |
0 |
Largs railway station, 11 July 1995; train hit temporary buffers during station rebuild; wreckage travelled through shops at the front of the station onto Largs Main Street. |
31 January 1995 |
1 |
30 |
31 January 1995; 1 killed, 30 injured: train hit landslide; oncoming train hit wreckage. |