A fatigued driver is thought to almost caused two trains to collide - with officials noting just 10 seconds separated the engines from disaster. The findings made by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) follow investigations into the near miss at Sileby Junction, near Melton, when a rail grinding train and an empty passenger train almost collided in May 2021.
Detailed investigations into the near-miss have now concluded that fatigue is thought to have played a part in the incident, with the RAIB’s report making clear how the trains were just seconds away from colliding. A detailed breakdown of the day’s events stated that the empty passenger train, which was not in service at time, was moving from Etches Park in Derby onto Melton just before 5am when it was approaching signal LR477 at Sileby Junction, Leicestershire Live reports.
At the same time, the grinding train, which is made up of machines used for reprofiling the rails, was travelling in the opposite direction, heading towards Chaddesden Yard in Derby. By the time it reached signal LR477, the empty passenger train was also in the same area.
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The report makes clear that despite being warned the signal was marked red for danger, the grinding train passed the signal by around 340 metres before the brakes were applied by both the driver and the train’s own automatic braking system. When the train came to a stop, the passenger train had only just passed through the same junction 10 seconds earlier.
In different circumstances, the RAIB said there “could have been a collision” with the passenger train which was crossing the junction ahead at the time of the incident. No injuries or damage was reported in the incident, but it led to a series of delays in the area that day.
The RAIB report found that the driver of the grinding train, who had 25 years’ experience, had been on duty since 9.30pm the previous night, with concerns about his concentration and awareness levels raised in the findings.
“The driver did not control the speed of the train on the approach to signal LR477 to enable it to stop at the signal. This was due to a loss of awareness of the driving task probably caused by fatigue,” they said.
“There is no evidence that the driver was distracted during the journey. He was alone in the cab before the incident. However, the changes in performance recorded could be indicative of the effects of fatigue.”
Wider concerns about fatigue management with the driver’s company, Colas Rail UK, were also raised by the RAIB. They said the firm’s risk management processes “did not prevent the driver from being affected by fatigue”, believing it was a probable underlying factor in him missing the warnings that led to him passing the signal.
While no blame on groups or individuals is attributed in the report, the RAIB said it had made a number of recommendations for both Colas Rail UK and Network Rail. They called on the firm to review and update its fatigue management system, while Network Rail would need to work with relevant bodies to implement a process that made clear of the dangers of over-running on the line as the grinding train had done.
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