A cocaine-using London Overground driver crashed at Enfield Town probably because he was too tired, a report has found.
The train carrying around 75 passengers hit the track’s buffer stop and rose above it during the rush-hour incident on October 12, 2021.
One passenger reported suffering a minor leg injury in the crash, while another reported suffering from traumatic shock. Neither were hospitalised.
Prosecutors told the Standard that Erkan Mehmet, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the safety of persons being conveyed upon a railway in relation to the incident. He is due to be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on Friday.
A report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, which did not name Mehmet, said drugs tests carried out after the crash found that it was likely that he had taken cocaine within the one or two days immediately before the accident. Tests also revealed evidence of historical use of cocaine.
Toxicology experts told investigators that the cocaine use may possibly have caused a “rebound effect” of tiredness, which could have been worsened by the driver’s lack of sleep because of circumstances at home.
The report found that the driver lost awareness and applied the brakes too late to stop the crash.
The driver did not report his fatigue to his employer, who in turn had not identified his fatigue when he signed on duty, it said, or that his personal circumstances made him vulnerable to fatigue.
Investigators have recommended that Arriva Rail London, which operates Overground services, encourage staff to report fatigue that could affect their ability to do their jobs safely.
The RAIB has also told Network Rail that it should improve the risk assessment process for collisions with buffer stops at terminal platforms.
