Train hits buffers at Preston (01/04)

[Saint66]

http://bbc.in/2otPcf4

Up to six people were hurt when a train hit a buffer at Preston railway station.
Northern rail confirmed "an incident took place at Preston station shortly before 15:00 GMT and "a very small number of people have been injured".
Mark Ormerod, who was standing on a platform opposite, said the train "didn't seem to slow enough" and made "a very loud bang" as it hit.
"A full investigation will be carried out," a Northern spokeswoman said.
Mr Ormerod, 19, from Preston, said the 14.47 GMT train from York was pulling into platform 3C.
"I was looking as I could tell it was going to hit... I couldn't see the passengers but saw the driver did jump when the train collided", he said.
"One passenger limped off and one was holding her broken glasses", he added.
Emergency services are in attendance, a statement from Northern said.

Doesn't sound like too serious an incident injuries wise, but still wish them all a speedy recovery.

Edit: My phone autocorrected the title from buffers! If a mod could change that it would be great!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I read the title and thought you'd have to come in pretty fast on 3C to hit the buffet

Hope everyone is OK.

 

[Saint66]

RAIB has investigators on scene according to their twitter.

 

[Bromley boy]

I read the title and thought you'd have to come in pretty fast on 3C to hit the buffet

Hope everyone is OK.

Especially if it was Mach buffet!

Thoughts to those involved, driver and passengers alike. A deceptively easy thing to happen.

 

[Zoidberg]

http://bbc.in/2otPcf4

...

Edit: My phone autocorrected the title from buffers! If a mod could change that it would be great!

I think you can do that yourself if you "Go Advanced" in the Edit dialogue.

 

[Saint66]

I think you can do that yourself if you "Go Advanced" in the Edit dialogue.

Fixed! Thank you!

 

[QueensCurve]

It will be interesting to see the investigation report and compare with the Chester incident.

 

[eMeS]

RAIB has investigators on seen according to their twitter.

And I wonder if you really meant to write "RAIB has investigators on scene according to their twitter."

 

[WatcherZero]

From the Preston witness account sounds like the driver misjudged the stopping point. Said the train was going about 30mph and the driver jumped when he hit the barrier like he didn't know it was there.

 

[snowball]

(quoting BBC)
Northern rail confirmed "an incident took place at Preston station shortly before 15:00 GMT and "a very small number of people have been injured".
Mark Ormerod, who was standing on a platform opposite, said the train "didn't seem to slow enough" and made "a very loud bang" as it hit.
"A full investigation will be carried out," a Northern spokeswoman said.
Mr Ormerod, 19, from Preston, said the 14.47 GMT train from York was pulling into platform 3C.

Are the BBC still on GMT? The rest of us switched to BST a week ago.

 

[Merseysider]

And I wonder if you really meant to write "RAIB has investigators on scene according to their twitter."

Obviously. Pointing it out was rather pedantic, especially given that several members are blind or partially sighted, and use the help of voice text.

 

[Tomnick]

From the Preston witness account sounds like the driver misjudged the stopping point. Said the train was going about 30mph and the driver jumped when he hit the barrier like he didn't know it was there.

Where was that stated (the 30mph bit in particular) please?

 

[WatcherZero]

Another news article.

http://www.blogpreston.co.uk/2017/0...-buffer-bent-out-of-shape-at-preston-station/

Mark Ormerod was stood on a nearby platform and saw the incident.

He said: “I wasn’t on the train, I was stood on the opposite platform.
“Driver seemed to jump on impact and it wasn’t going very fast, maybe 30mph or so.
“The buffer has bent and one passenger had visibly sore ankle and another had broken glasses.

 

[Darandio]

Where was that stated (the 30mph bit in particular) please?

I don't see it either. It also wasn't redacted as it wasn't in the article earlier.

 

[neilb62]

From the Preston witness account sounds like the driver misjudged the stopping point. Said the train was going about 30mph and the driver jumped when he hit the barrier like he didn't know it was there.

The linespeed into 3C is only 15mph so i'd think the TPWS would have dropped him before then had he been doing 30. This sound like a pure misjudgment and I hope it all gets sorted out with minimum fuss.

 

[Bevan Price]

These trains normally go into Platform 1. Presumably being terminated at Preston due to engineering work on the Blackpool line ?

 

[BestWestern]

The linespeed into 3C is only 15mph so i'd think the TPWS would have dropped him before then had he been doing 30. This sound like a pure misjudgment and I hope it all gets sorted out with minimum fuss.

Unlikely to be overly 'minimal' if RAIB are involved, I presume, but yes hopefully due process isn't dragged out any longer than it needs to be.

As for the witness, the Driver is going to 'jump' if his train collides with something, he would presumably have been thrown slightly by the impact!

 

[Tomnick]

Another news article.

http://www.blogpreston.co.uk/2017/0...-buffer-bent-out-of-shape-at-preston-station/

Thanks. I think we can safely disregard that account as thoroughly unreliable. Even if the TPWS, for whatever reason, hadn't intervened, the relatively minor injuries and damage caused aren't at all consistent with a 30mph collision (which would've made rather a mess).

 

[Darandio]

Ahh, I see where the 30mph has come from now, didn't realise a different article had been posted after the initial question.

 

[wls1]

These trains normally go into Platform 1. Presumably being terminated at Preston due to engineering work on the Blackpool line ?

Bus replacements from PRE-BPN because of engineering works.

 

[PHILIPE]

These trains normally go into Platform 1. Presumably being terminated at Preston due to engineering work on the Blackpool line ?

So was the driver not expecting to be going into a Bay Platform which was unusual for this line of route. Reminds me of the Plymouth collision last year.

 

[BestWestern]

So was the driver not expecting to be going into a Bay Platform which was unusual for this line of route. Reminds me of the Plymouth collision last year.

The Driver would presumably have had a route indication on approaching the station, and so would have been aware of where he was going. His route knowledge would cover the appropriate speed limit.

It's stated above that the speed on entering the platform was no more than 15mph, otherwise the train would have been brought to a halt well before it made it to the buffer stops. At that speed, the Driver would have had time to process where he was going, even if he had been initially unsure. RAIB will tell us in due course, but poor rail conditions or a simple misjudgement certainly appear likely.

 

[neilb62]

The Driver would presumably have had a route indication on approaching the station, and so would have been aware of where he was going. His route knowledge would cover the appropriate speed limit.

It's stated above that the speed on entering the platform was no more than 15mph, otherwise the train would have been brought to a halt well before it made it to the buffer stops. At that speed, the Driver would have had time to process where he was going, even if he had been initially unsure. RAIB will tell us in due course, but poor rail conditions or a simple misjudgement certainly appear likely.

He'll have had a 'B3' in the twin theatre box at the proceeding signal. In common with many LM stations at Preston you get a platform number in the box for the through lines or preceded by a B for a bay....

 

[Carlisle]

The Driver would presumably have had a route indication on approaching the station, and so would have been aware of where he was going. His route knowledge would cover the appropriate speed limit.
.

Aren't most signals into bay platforms like this, approach controlled, in order to reduce the likelihood of such an incident

 

[BestWestern]

Aren't most signals into bay platforms like this, approach controlled, in order to reduce the likelihood of such an incident

This incident looks likely to be more related to slow speed braking than to an overspeed entering the station.

 

[neilb62]

This incident looks likely to be more related to slow speed braking than to an overspeed entering the station.

The bays are fitted with TPWS approaching the stops, anymore than about 10mph and he'd have been tripped....

 

[Tomnick]

He'll have had a 'B3' in the twin theatre box at the proceeding signal. In common with many LM stations at Preston you get a platform number in the box for the through lines or preceded by a B for a bay....

Is the bay fitted with a TPWS overspeed sensor to the 'standard' arrangement (i.e. set speed of 12mph or so)...? Hopefully, if so, that'll put some of the speculation around the speed entering the platform to bed!

 

[455driver]

From the Preston witness account sounds like the driver misjudged the stopping point. Said the train was going about 30mph and the driver jumped when he hit the barrier like he didn't know it was there.

No wonder the RAIB are on scene, speeding over points, TPWS ineffective, etc or the 30mph is a load of sh-t!

 

[30907]

Aren't most signals into bay platforms like this, approach controlled, in order to reduce the likelihood of such an incident

Yes, but that doesn't stop the driver accelerating after the signal, which would be reasonable. And then there's the TPWS anyway.
But the bay at Preston is so little used.

 

[najaB]

I would be amazed if this incident is due to either the driver not knowing that (s)he was entering a bay platform or that they approached too quickly. More than likely it was either misjudging the correct braking point (distraction being most probable) or insufficient braking action.

Does anyone know how regularly platform 3B is used?