Near miss at Euxton Junction (14/03/24)

[vidal]

Near miss at Euxton Junction

Near miss with a track worker at Euxton Junction, Lancashire, 14 March 2024.

www.gov.uk

At around 14:14 hrs on 14 March 2024, a train travelling at around 110 mph (177 km/h) was involved in a near miss with a track worker on the Up Fast line close to Euxton Junction located on the West Coast Main line in Lancashire.

The track worker involved in the incident believed that the Up Fast line was blocked to train movements. However, the line blockage which they had agreed with the signaller actually applied to the adjacent Down Fast line and the Up Fast line was still open to trains.

Luckily no injuries, but this must have been a really frightening experience.

James

 

[james_the_xv]

Safety Digest only, so makes me think it's another COSS or Lookout driven incident.

 

[AY1975]

Safety Digest only, so makes me think it's another COSS or Lookout driven incident.

The Safety Digest has now been published:

Safety digest 05/2024: Euxton Junction

RAIB has today released its safety digest into a near miss with track worker at Euxton Junction, Lancashire, 14 March 2024.

www.gov.uk

"Important safety messages
This incident demonstrates the importance of:

• following good practice for safety-critical communication when undertaking face-to-face briefings, regardless of familiarity with the task, location or staff involved
• the timely provision of safe work packs containing information that is relevant, and which accurately reflect the needs of the work to be undertaken, such as the location of key equipment.

Summary of the incident​

At around 14:14 hrs on 14 March 2024, the driver of a train reported a near miss with a track worker near to Euxton Junction on the West Coast Main Line. The track worker involved was a controller of site safety (COSS). At the time of the near miss, the COSS had been looking for a lineside location cabinet (LOC) to undertake scheduled maintenance work.

The COSS was alerted to the approaching train, which was travelling at 110 mph (177 km/h), by a shouted warning from a member of the public on a nearby footbridge and by the train driver sounding the train’s warning horn. The COSS managed to move to a position of safety approximately 2 seconds before the train reached their location."

 

[SouthStand]

Scary how incompetent some of these track workers are.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Don't they have lookouts with horns anymore?

 

[Lucy1501]

Don't they have lookouts with horns anymore?

I believe red zone working where lines are open to traffic has effectively been banned - especially in Scotland. As a result the only protection would need to be a line blockage in most circumstances.

 

[Carlisle]

Far from an ideal system given confusion & misunderstanding between signaller & other rail workers isn’t exactly unheard of over the years .

 

[Surreytraveller]

I believe red zone working where lines are open to traffic has effectively been banned - especially in Scotland. As a result the only protection would need to be a line blockage in most circumstances.

Red zone would probably be safer if they don't know which line they're blocking!

 

[Towers]

Scary how incompetent some of these track workers are.

But not at all surprising, given that NR engage a seemingly endless array of obscure contractors who all put their staff on the track. Only the most naive would believe that none of those outfits or their staff might ever be inclined to bend the rules or demonstrate a cavalier attitude toward their own or other peoples’ safety.

 

[The Puddock]

I believe red zone working where lines are open to traffic has effectively been banned - especially in Scotland. As a result the only protection would need to be a line blockage in most circumstances.

Only unassisted lookout working has been withdrawn. You are still allowed to work on open lines using the various permanent, temporary and portable warning systems such as TOWS, TAWS, SATWS and LOWS.

 

[Dr Hoo]

But not at all surprising, given that NR engage a seemingly endless array of obscure contractors who all put their staff on the track. Only the most naive would believe that none of those outfits or their staff might ever be inclined to bend the rules or demonstrate a cavalier attitude toward their own or other peoples’ safety.

This isn’t anything new. I had an unforgettable lesson back in around 1978, when I was helping out with odd jobs surrounding the Midland Suburban Electrification (aka ‘Bed-Pan’). I was only a junior clerk and there was no Personal Track Safety certification and so on back in the day.
We were trying to organise a photography shoot about bridge reconstruction for 25kV clearances for local publicity. I joined the photographer, electrification project manager and a local Permanent Way Supervisor - the latter being the ‘safety expert’.
We were in what can only be described as a diesel fume logged ‘canyon’ of six tracks south of Kentish Town between two sets of bridges/short tunnels, with minimal visibility in any direction and no radios or suchlike. Collectively we all became completely disoriented and mistook Up for Down (or North for South if you prefer).
There were no ‘near misses’ but it was really scary.

 

[GusB]

Only unassisted lookout working has been withdrawn. You are still allowed to work on open lines using the various permanent, temporary and portable warning systems such as TOWS, TAWS, SATWS and LOWS.

I assume "WS" is "warning system", but would you clarify the rest, please?

 

[Signal Head]

I can see how this confusion could have arisen - the first error was the decision that the loc required was adjacent to the Down Fast.

Tech goes to a loc, finds it is the wrong one, sees what they think must be the right one further up and on the adjacent line, but the idea that the loc they want is next to the DF persists, therefore the line next to the 'correct' loc *must be* the DF, mustn't it?

There's a Line Block on the DF, so "I'm OK walking 'back to traffic', because there won't be any trains on it". Also "I can't walk facing traffic' *on the other line* because that one's open".

Controversial idea - I would sincerely hope that no-one with on-track training would walk 'back to traffic' on an open unidirectional line. Were they lulled into a false sense of security by the line block being in place, such that it becomes absolutely critical not to confuse the blocked line with the open one? And would they actually have been safer with both lines open, so that there is no temptation or encouragement to walk 'back to traffic' in the belief that they are in the safest place, and the knowledge that both lines are open forces or encourages them to be more alert?

Alternatively, disallow Line Blocks on one of a pair of 'opposite' but unidirectional lines, but instead always require both blocked together.
Potentially difficult to achieve in most instances I imagine.

 

[twpsaesneg]

But not at all surprising, given that NR engage a seemingly endless array of obscure contractors who all put their staff on the track. Only the most naive would believe that none of those outfits or their staff might ever be inclined to bend the rules or demonstrate a cavalier attitude toward their own or other peoples’ safety.

This incident involved NR's own staff.

I don't know anyone "inclined to bend the rules" regarding keeping safe from being bowled over. If anything in the contracting world its the other way around.

 

[MadMac]

This incident involved NR's own staff.

I don't know anyone "inclined to bend the rules" regarding keeping safe from being bowled over. If anything in the contracting world it’s the other way around.

Local staff who should have been familiar with the area. After 44 years in the business, I just can’t get my head around it.

 

[LCC106]

I assume "WS" is "warning system", but would you clarify the rest, please?

Wondering the same. Also, in response to another post, I’ve seen track workers walking with their back to traffic many times.

 

[GingerSte]

I know that signs have been put at track access points in a lot of places, to help avoid this kind disorientation. I don't know if some of these signs could be repeated more often, eg on bridge abutment or retaining walls. It feels like a fairly low cost partial solution.

I also wonder what the feasibility would be of painting the ELR and track reference either on the side of a rail or on a sleeper, every 10-20 metres or so. Either that or some kind of tag fixed to rail or sleeper.

 

[MadMac]

Wondering the same. Also, in response to another post, I’ve seen track workers walking with their back to traffic many times.

TOWS is, from memory, “Train Operated Warning System”. In the very beginning, the prototype was “FATCOWS” (Fixed Audible Track Circuit Operated Warning System): I’m NOT making that up!

 

[yoyothehobo]

TOWS - Train operated warnings system
TAWS - Train activated/approaching warning system
SATWS - Semi automated train warning system
LOWS - Lookout operated warning system

 

[43096]

This incident involved NR's own staff.

I don't know anyone "inclined to bend the rules" regarding keeping safe from being bowled over. If anything in the contracting world its the other way around.

And yet there is a pretty lengthy list of RAIB investigations into incidents (near misses and worse) where processes have not been followed.

 

[LCC106]

Thanks both. Fatcows! Love it!

 

[Railsigns]

SATWS is Semi-Automatic Track Warning System.

 

[twpsaesneg]

And yet there is a pretty lengthy list of RAIB investigations into incidents (near misses and worse) where processes have not been followed.

Most of which appear to be NR's own staff nowadays. I should have made it clear, I don't know of any of my colleagues who would bend the rules in the way described by the poster.

Also worth putting it in context of a tiny amount of incidents against the number of people out on side.

 

[ruaival]

TOWS - Train operated warnings system
TAWS - Train activated/approaching warning system
SATWS - Semi automated train warning system
LOWS - Lookout operated warning system

Slightly off topic but I recall an Acronyms dictionary when I started work in the 80s listing:

TOPS - Total Operations Processing System
and its fallback

BOTTOMS - Back Onto The Trusted Old Manual System

presumable the pre-TOPS way of keeping track of rolling stock was really complicated?

 

[WAB]

presumable the pre-TOPS way of keeping track of rolling stock was really complicated?

Very labour intensive, and very easy for wagons to get lost. You'd usually not know what stock was arriving until it did. Lots of wagons were rediscovered on the network, and the abolition of the widespread hoarding of wagons enabled c. 200,000 to be withdrawn almost immediately.