An official investigation has been launched into a Nottingham tram derailment which injured the driver and a passenger. Services were disrupted for over a week after an NET tram collided with a pole at the Bulwell stop on June 12.
The company began its own investigation into the incident, but the official Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has now launched its own. The organisation says the tram had thirty passengers on board at the time of the accident, with the vehicle travelling at around 19mph.
Describing the incident, the RAIB said: "A southbound tram derailed at a set of facing points on the approach to Bulwell tram stop... The tram subsequently struck an overhead line support pole.
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"The derailment caused significant damage to the tram and to the infrastructure of the tramway. There were around thirty passengers on board at the time of the accident. Two people, including the tram driver, suffered minor injuries as a result of the accident."
The incident happened just after 5pm and due to the heavy thunder and rain that evening, there were multiple reports that the weather may have played a role in it. But NET said at the time that it was too early to say if the weather had been a factor.
The RAIB's investigation will now look at the actions of those involved and anything that may have influenced them, as well as the management of drivers working on NET, including training and competence. Other areas for investigation will include the maintenance of points and signalling equipment and any other underlying management factors.
A series of recommendations to improve safety will be published when the RAIB has concluded its investigation. The RAIB's work is independent of NET's own investigation.
