Lucky escape for track workers Shrewsbury

[Zoidberg]

RAIB have a link to the investigation here: http://www.raib.gov.uk/publications/current_investigations_register/140116_bridgeway.cfm

From that page, with my bold, to assist link challenged readers:

RAIB is investigating a serious near-miss involving a welding gang at Bridgeway user worked crossing, near Shrewsbury.

The accident occurred just before midnight on 16 January 2014 and involved train 1J76, the 22:36 hrs service from Manchester Piccadilly to Shrewsbury. At the point of impact the train, formed by a class 175 diesel multiple unit operated by Arriva Trains Wales, was travelling at approximately 85 mph (136 km/h). It braked to a stand in around half a mile (0.8 km).

Seconds before the collision a member of staff jumped off the trolley and clear of the train. A van, inside which another member of staff was unloading equipment, was parked close to the railway and was very nearly struck by the train. Although the train did not derail, it suffered significant damage, including a ruptured fuel tank. The member of staff who jumped clear suffered minor injuries.

The trolley was being loaded on the up line to move equipment southwards, towards Shrewsbury, to undertake a weld repair. However, this line was still open to traffic to allow train 1J76, the last train of the evening, to approach (the down line had been blocked by arrangement with the controlling signaller based in Cardiff).

 

[RailwayBear]

These guys are extremely lucky, a similar incident like this happened at Tebay where sadly the track workers were struck by the runaway trolley. There's was another runaway trolley in 2007(I think) at larkhall where the trolley came to rest in the tunnel between Hamilton and Motherwell.

 

[Llanigraham]

I suspect that the wrong piece has been highlighted in the above posting by Zoidberg.
In my mind the most relevant words are:
The trolley was being loaded on the up line to move equipment southwards, towards Shrewsbury, to undertake a weld repair. However, this line was still open to traffic to allow train 1J76, the last train of the evening, to approach (the down line had been blocked by arrangement with the controlling signaller based in Cardiff).

Motherwell, this trolley had NOT runaway!

 

[455driver]

These guys are extremely lucky, a similar incident like this happened at Tebay where sadly the track workers were struck by the runaway trolley. There's was another runaway trolley in 2007(I think) at larkhall where the trolley came to rest in the tunnel between Hamilton and Motherwell.

What have runaway trollies got to do with this?
They put the trolley on a live* railway line and it got hit by a train, it didnt run away!

* live as in open to traffic not electrified before all the pedantic prats start!

 

[merlodlliw]

Todays 18th February North Wales Rail Newsboard has the RAIB report & picture of the damaged 175. link for picture & full initial report http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm

RAIB and the trolley 'mishap' Written by Editor Charlie Hume

The Rail Accident Investigation Board has published an initial report on what it calls a 'serious near-miss' which occurred on the Crewe - Shrewsbury line on 16 January when the last passenger train of the day, the 22:36 from Manchester to Shrewsbury, struck a trolley on the line.

The site of the incident was Bridgeway user-worked crossing, between Yorton station and the closed Harlescott Crossing signalbox. A welding crew, dispatched to repair a weld fault which had been noticed in the track, were using the crossing as an access point, and the 'down' (northbound) line had been blocked for the purpose by agreement with the staff at Cardiff signalling centre which now controls the signalling here. The trolley, of the small hand-pushed folding variety, had been placed on the 'up' line to carry the welding equipment, when the Class 175 working southbound train 1J76 appeared, travelling at 85 mph, and ran in to the trolley as one of the welders jumped for his life, narrowly missing the van from which his colleague was unloading the equipment.

The train did not derail, and came to a stand in half a mile; the train driver's feelings are not hard to imagine. The RAIB states that its investigation will 'establish the sequence of events, examine how the work was planned, how the staff involved were being managed and the way in which railway safety rules were applied. It will also seek to understand the actions of the track workers involved, and factors that may have influenced their behaviour and attitudes.' Let's hope they report soon before another such incident occurs with more tragic results. It's tempting to speculate whether last year's transfer of the signalling control last year from local signalboxes to the remote centre played any part in events, but we must await the final Report. The line at this point is actually signalled to allow trains to run in either direction on each line, but this facility was not being used at the time of the incident.

 

[Tomnick]

I keep seeing suggestions that the resignalling might have contributed to the incident. I'm not sure how - a line blockage, correctly issued and protected (and the RAIB do not suggest otherwise), is no different whether the controlling box is 2 or 200 miles away.

 

[Graiser]

One is wondering what a possession order is! In any case, staff are often out on the line without a possession, either working red zone (not with a trolley though) or under a line blockage.

Wouldn't be working red zone at night

 

[Tomnick]

Indeed, and certainly not with a trolley...as I said. I was merely highlighting that a possession wouldn't necessarily be required or involved. The rest of us have long since moved on anyway .