Train safety system failed before fatal crash, investigators say
An automated system that helps train wheels grip tracks failed on a train involved in a fatal crash in mid-Wales on October 21, investigators said.
Hoses fitted to the Transport for Wales (TfW) train to discharge sand when wheels slide during braking were “blocked”, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said.
TfW and Network Rail said it is “fundamental that we await the findings of the full report”.
The train with the failed safety system was travelling at between 15mph and 24mph when it collided head-on with another TfW train travelling at around 6mph.
Passenger David Tudor Evans, 66, died and four other people were seriously injured.
Eleven more people sustained injuries which required hospital treatment.
Analysis
Initial analysis of the on-board data recorder shows the driver applied the brakes as the train neared the loop, during which time the wheels began to slide.
Around 40 seconds later, the driver made an emergency brake demand, which remained in place until the crash.
The train passed through the loop and rejoined the single line, sliding for around 900 metres downhill before the collision occurred.
“Failings”
The RAIB said its investigation will consider several aspects, such as the sanding system, the performance of the trains, and the policies of TfW and Network Rail related to managing the risk of wheels sliding.
Following the crash, Network Rail said one of its railhead treatment trains – which tackle autumn leaf fall – ran along the line and passing loop the night before the crash.
Leaves cause major disruption every autumn when they stick to damp rails and become compressed by train wheels.
This creates a smooth, slippery layer similar to black ice on roads, reducing trains’ grip.
Speed restrictions are often imposed in an attempt to reduce accidents such as the crash between two trains outside a tunnel near Salisbury, Wiltshire, in October 2021 which left 13 passengers and one driver requiring hospital treatment.
A South Western Railway train slipped on crushed leaves, causing it to slide past a stop signal and smash into the side of a Great Western Railway service.
A funeral for Mr Evans will be held on Saturday at Aberystwyth Crematorium.
The hearse will be followed by a replica rally car built by Mr Evans.
Joint Statement
Following the rail collision in Powys on Monday 21 October 2024, Transport for Wales and Network Rail have fully cooperated with the British Transport Police, Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
In a joint statement, a spokesperson for Transport for Wales and Network Rail said: “As investigations are currently still ongoing, we’ll continue to work together with investigators to understand what happened and await the full conclusion and recommendations of the investigation.
“Safety is always our main priority for our customers and colleagues, and we have carried out enhanced checks to the trains and the railway line to enable the reopening of the Cambrian line on Monday 28 October 2024.
“At this early stage of the investigation, it’s fundamental that we await the findings of the full report and show sensitivity towards our customers, colleagues, the local community and the families of those affected by the incident.”
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I am still not sure how the train that was meant to stop in the passing loop, ended up nearly a mile past it.
If I ended up that far past a red light in my car, I don’t think I could use the excuse “the anti lock brakes didn’t function as I thought officer”
Each train wheel only has an area the size of a 5p piece in contact with the rail. The wheel is metal in contact with a metal rail, there is not much adhesion, unlike a car with a rubber tyre and asphalt road with a lot more adhesion. The train weighs tonnes more and there is a lot of kinetic energy, so if it slides it goes a long way, a bit like a car on black ice.
I think there is more to this than the Interim report implies.
The media focus on sanding here is odd, it’s like blaming an air crash on faulty parachutes.
I’m no expert, but I suspect if your car were to slide on ice past a red light, and you hadn’t been driving recklessly so as to cause that slide, then you would indeed avoid punishment..
Especially if the council hadn’t gritted the road.
Given the gradient involved it seems surprising that the eastbound train is allowed into the signalling block before the loop until the westbound train is confirmed stopped in the loop.
If the sanding pipe was blocked is it a maintenance issue or is the design defective? The comment in the article mentions hoses, so were all the sanding units (4 in total I assume, 2 on each driving set of wheels) defective?