Collision at Neville Hill Depot 16/09

[dodecahedron67]

Apparently there has been a low speed collision leading to derailment on Neville Hill Depot this morning, lines blocked and trains diverting via Methley until 1200 initially…

Incident: Micklefield | National Rail

Disruption between Leeds and York / Selby expected until 12:00. Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Route(s) affected
between Leeds and York / Selby

Description
An operational incident between Leeds and Micklefield means that some lines are blocked. As a result, trains running between Leeds and York / Selby may be cancelled, delayed by up to 15 minutes or revised.

This is expected until 12:00.

Northern customer advice:

Northern services are unable to run from Leeds towards York via Micklefield (in this direction only), and from Leeds towards Hull (in this direction only).

Northern services between Leeds and York via Harrogate are not affected.

What should I do?

You can travel on the next Northern service to your destination, where available.

You can also travel on TransPennine Express services at no extra cost between Leeds and York, and between Leeds and Hull.

Please note that other train operators may also be affected by disruption – please check your whole journey before travelling.

Northern train ticket restrictions have been lifted in the affected areas, including Advance and Peak restrictions, during this disruption. Restrictions will be reinstated once the disruption ends.

 

[LittleAH]

LNER 800 apparently had a bump with a buffer

 

[edwin_m]

LNER 800 apparently had a bump with a buffer

Is this another case of intermediate bogies derailed, as at the previous Neville Hill collision where it was blamed on the coupler design?

 

[800001]

LNER 800 apparently had a bump with a buffer

Must be at the very east end of depot to cause a blockage of the line?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Sep 2026 ==

Is this another case of intermediate bogies derailed, as at the previous Neville Hill collision where it was blamed on the coupler design?

Far far too early to know that.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Sep 2026 ==

Apparently there has been a low speed collision leading to derailment on Neville Hill Depot this morning, lines blocked and trains diverting via Methley until 1200 initially…

Incident: Micklefield | National Rail

Disruption between Leeds and York / Selby expected until 12:00. Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

All lines have now reopened.

 

[skyhigh]

Must be at the very east end of depot to cause a blockage of the line?

It will have been the buffers in the shunt neck, at the East end adjacent to the main line.

 

[800001]

Is this another case of intermediate bogies derailed, as at the previous Neville Hill collision where it was blamed on the coupler design?

There is a bogie derailed, can't confirm which carriage.
Minimal damage, mainly affecting nose cone.
801204 is the unit.

 

[Stossgebet]

Resolution.
Fit 'non multi' stickers to buffer stops.
Afterall, got to be seen to be doing something to prevent mishaps.

Frivolity aside, does the really high desk in the 8xx class obscure the buffers if you have to get really close to them?

 

[TreacleMiller]

I see some images have made their way into the public sphere already so can post here.

 

[800001]

Resolution.
Fit 'non multi' stickers to buffer stops.
Afterall, got to be seen to be doing something to prevent mishaps.

Frivolity aside, does the really high desk in the 8xx class obscure the buffers if you have to get really close to them?

There should be no need to get really close to the buffers and they usually/should stop at a sufficient distance from them, or like at Kings Cross there is a sign which the drivers use as a positioning marker so they stop in the right place.

Attached another picture below of the affected train.

 

[172007]

The derailment is odd. Has it slid the buffers forward and the missing rail has always been missing as
it was beyond the buffer?

 

[Purple Train]

The derailment is odd. Has it slid the buffers forward and the missing rail has always been missing as
it was beyond the buffer?

I don't think so, as it looks like the rear bogie of the first coach has derailed. IETs do have a certain history of derailing in such a manner.

 

[saismee]

Has it slid the buffers forward

All of the friction brakes (I don't know the real name, but they're the metal bolted to the railhead behind the buffers) are touching so it must have been pushed somewhat.

 

[800001]

I don't think so, as it looks like the rear bogie of the first coach has derailed. IETs do have a certain history of derailing in such a manner.

Also from pictures seen the track has moved forward under the derailed bogie so that won't help.

 

[Purple Train]

Also from pictures seen the track has moved forward under the derailed bogie so that won't help.

Oops, missed that!

 

[YorksLad12]

There should be no need to get really close to the buffers and they usually/should stop at a sufficient distance from them, or like at Kings Cross there is a sign which the drivers use as a positioning marker so they stop in the right place.

Attached another picture below of the affected train.

Weirdly for me, I looked at that buffer stop yesterday and wondered if anything was ever parked up there. Passed by this morning and evening, saw the 80x, failed to spot the damage to the nose (but did think it was awfully close...)!

 

[skyhigh]

Weirdly for me, I looked at that buffer stop yesterday and wondered if anything was ever parked up there.

It'll cause a headache as that shunt neck is used a lot when moving units about on depot. It's never used as stabling space though.

 

[wilsontown]

Was still there at about 1735 when I went past this evening, imagine it isn't trivial to move it.

Did notice it this morning as it seemed to be in the wrong place and shut down with no internal lights on etc.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Sep 2026 ==

It'll cause a headache as that shunt neck is used a lot when moving units about on depot. It's never used as stabling space though.

I wondered about that, I guess it doesn't mess up access to the depot but can't shunt things around.

 

[LittleAH]

Line block to be in place today to remove the unit

 

[Tractor37]

Mainline is closed today from 09.30 until 15.30 to rerail it

 

[Cell2025]

Oh joy. Four of us going to York Beer Festival from Leeds. Or not, as the case may be.

10.17, 10.30 and 10.46 gone, with more to come, presumably. Happy days.

I know there's nothing that can be done, but disruption is so common on routes I travel it's a happy day when everything runs to plan.

 

[LittleAH]

Oh joy. Four of us going to York Beer Festival from Leeds. Or not, as the case may be.

10.17, 10.30 and 10.46 gone, with more to come, presumably. Happy days.

I know there's nothing that can be done, but disruption is so common on routes I travel it's a happy day when everything runs to plan.

TPE still running via Methley

 

[gobbla]

Oh joy. Four of us going to York Beer Festival from Leeds. Or not, as the case may be.

10.17, 10.30 and 10.46 gone, with more to come, presumably. Happy days.

I know there's nothing that can be done, but disruption is so common on routes I travel it's a happy day when everything runs to plan.

You can go via Harrogate, albeit slower.

 

[Spartacus]

Also from pictures seen the track has moved forward under the derailed bogie so that won't help.

Yeah, I've often seen the last fishplates before a solid buffer with no immediate obstruction will have minimal bolts in, presumably so that in a collision such as this it'll be pushed forward, the ballast helping absorb impact and reduce the chances of telescoping into adjacent lines. It also conveniently means there'll be a tell-tale track circuit failure.

I've seen online that today's the 76th anniversary of the WD leaving Neville Hill on it's own and ending up in Marsh Lane.

 

[wilsontown]

It seems that Northern are running the York - Leeds stoppers empty to Cross Gates, using the new crossover west of Cross Gates, then reversing and continuing in service from Cross Gates. Might be the first time that crossover has been used?

Looks like TPE and XC are running some services via Castleford.

 

[Stossgebet]

Yeah, I've often seen the last fishplates before a solid buffer with no immediate obstruction will have minimal bolts in, presumably so that in a collision such as this it'll be pushed forward, the ballast helping absorb impact and reduce the chances of telescoping into adjacent lines. It also conveniently means there'll be a tell-tale track circuit failure.

I've seen online that today's the 76th anniversary of the WD leaving Neville Hill on it's own and ending up in Marsh Lane.

Tell tale track circuit failure? Surely the presence of the train is going to be dectected, unless every axle derailed.
And even for an 8xx, that's unlikely at depot speeds.

 

[edwin_m]

Yeah, I've often seen the last fishplates before a solid buffer with no immediate obstruction will have minimal bolts in, presumably so that in a collision such as this it'll be pushed forward, the ballast helping absorb impact and reduce the chances of telescoping into adjacent lines. It also conveniently means there'll be a tell-tale track circuit failure.

I've seen online that today's the 76th anniversary of the WD leaving Neville Hill on it's own and ending up in Marsh Lane.

This shouldn't be necessary with a friction stop,

Usually friction elements* are spaced out along the rail behind the stop so that as it slides back it starts pushing more of them, increasing the retardation force in steps. However, the photos above suggest they are all between the front and back legs of the stop itself so maximum retardation would happen immediately or very soon after collision. The stop has quite a bit more rail behind it so would probably have slid further had the track remained intact, suggesting the design intent has not been realised.

The photos above show one fishplate bolt hole in the piece of rail that has apparently separated, but there may be a second one hidden by a chair.

I believe standards require buffer stops to have a track circuit interrupter (maybe for an adjacent running line if there is one?). Probably a train hitting a buffer stop on a track circuited line will still be on the track and detected, but in this case the hazard is more about fouling the adjacent track.

*so named on the Rawie datasheet - the things that grip the rail separately from the stop itself.

 

[saismee]

Usually friction elements* are spaced out along the rail behind the stop so that as it slides back it starts pushing more of them, increasing the retardation force in steps. However, the photos above suggest they are all between the front and back legs of the stop itself so maximum retardation would happen immediately or very soon after collision. The stop has quite a bit more rail behind it so would probably have slid further had the track remained intact, suggesting the design intent has not been realised.

I think the design being high friction is more likely than my assumption of the "friction elements" collapsing together, though I can't say I've looked too closely at struck buffers. For low speed empty shunts it makes sense to want to stop quickly, whereas for passenger use you would want it to be a little more gradual.

 

[edwin_m]

I think the design being high friction is more likely than my assumption of the "friction elements" collapsing together, though I can't say I've looked too closely at struck buffers. For low speed empty shunts it makes sense to want to stop quickly, whereas for passenger use you would want it to be a little more gradual.

However, #9 shows that there is plenty of rail for the stop still to slide over. Possible explanations:

• Lighter train than the stop is designed for - unlikely as this is a full-length set and close to the heaviest train likely to approach it.
• Slower train than the stop is designed for - in which case the stop should bring the train to a halt within its sliding distance with no separation of the track.
• The force exerted on and by the stop increases above the value at which the track gives way, before the stop has finished its travel - suggesting the friction elements were arranged wrongly or the track wasn't properly joined.

 

[staleydm01]

Curious if anyone knows where the York trains ended up, terminating a train at cross gates bit it still headed off, the transpenine stopped instead but still past Neville hill but northern cut short, this being that the 12:32 was late, made the 12:36 TP late, so instead of a 15 minute target to get from 7A to 1B, they now give you 3 minutes from platform 16 to make a Skipton train that was so easy until today and I’ve a damaged leg too so my bad luck

 

[1D53]

Northern were running York to Cross Gates, empty replatform via the new cross over and then back to York in the next path.

Only the Down line was closed to help the rerailing, the Up line was open.