Moreton-on-Lugg accident: man arrested

[welshdragon]

taken from the last issue of the North Wales Coast Notice Board

A '40-year-old man' (as protocol required him to be described) has been arrested by British Transport Police, and released on Police Bail until September, on suspicion of Manslaughter in relation to the events on 16 January 2010 at Moreton-on-Lugg level crossing on the Shrewsbury-Hereford line, when a Class 175 train struck two cars, fatally injuring a lady passenger in one of them and injuring others. (Reported in our 19 January issue.)

No detailed report has yet been issued by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, but Network Rail has admitted responsibility, and it is understood within the rail industry that unlike most level crossing accidents, this was not the fault of the road users, as the barriers, controlled from the signalbox immediately adjacent, were raised by the signalman while a train was approaching.

The scenario appears to have been something like this: Trains were due to pass in both directions, so he lowered the barriers across the road as normal, and cleared the signals for the trains. He then became distracted by dealing with a telephone call from a user of another level crossing, some distance away, that is supervised from the box. One train passed by the box, and forgetting the one coming the other way, he raised the barriers while it was still approaching at full line speed, and was too close to stop even though, realising the error, he returned the protecting signal to danger and the driver made an emergency brake application.

Knowing the fail-safe mentality usually claimed for railway signalling installations, it is surprising that such a mistake was possible, but there was no interlocking of the barrier controls with track-circuit detection provided at Moreton-on-Lugg to prevent it. It is quite possible to provide this, and we have heard that when the equipment there was being overhauled not long before, the offer was made to create such an interlocking, but Network Rail management rejected the idea. Let us hope that the intervention of the Police does not hinder the inquiry into this disturbing accident.

[Dave]

Sad thing is this bloke's probably had a genuine dickhead moment and he'll have to live with it for the rest of his life. How many of us here can't turn round and say "ffs, how stupid have I been here".

Sad. But still, all level crossings should be interlocked imo.

[Kevo00]

Absolutely. There should have been interlocking. No doubt we won't get a national inquiry into what other crossings are not interlocking.

[61653]

Absolutely. There should have been interlocking. No doubt we won't get a national inquiry into what other crossings are not interlocking.

I'm pretty sure if this had been a quieter week for news (wikileaks-gate etc.) there might have been more publicity- we could (maybe should) have a Cullen-style inquiry, and this may yet happen...