Bexley derailment
Encyclopedia
The Bexley derailment was an accident on the British railway system which occurred in Bexley
, south east London
, United Kingdom
on 4 February 1997 when an EWS freight train derailed near to Bexley station
on the Dartford Loop Line
.
Railtrack plc
, SEIMCL and STRCL were each convicted of various offences under section 3 of the Health & Safety at work etc. Act 1974 resulting in fines totalling £150,000 and £41,768 awarded to the Health and Safety Executive
. In his sentencing remarks, the judge said that it "was merciful that nobody was killed although four people were injured". The Inspectorate report describes it as "fortunate" that nobody was killed.
The primary cause of the accident was found to be a combination of very poor track maintenance and an overloaded train. Although the train was travelling above the speed limit, it is unclear whether this was a factor of the accident.
Phrases such as:
were all reported within three months before the accident. Engineering works had been arranged since these comments and before the derailment but the work was not organised. The Inspectorate Report found that contractors were not carrying out their contracts adequately and that Railtrack was not assessing their contractors adequately.
The train was found to be overloaded because the inspection by EWS the previous night was done visually and not measured in any accurate way.
The train was found to have been speeding for two reasons:
The train was a double-headed Class 37
train; the leading locomotive was 37167 and the second locomotive was 37220. The train was operating the 6Y56 from Three Bridges
, Sussex to Hoo Junction
, near Gravesend
, Kent
. The train consisted of 19 wagons. The two locomotives and the first 11 wagons were not derailed and did not sustain damage.
Bexley
Bexley is an South East London]] in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road, Watling Street...
, south east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 4 February 1997 when an EWS freight train derailed near to Bexley station
Bexley railway station
Bexley railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern....
on the Dartford Loop Line
Dartford Loop Line
The Dartford Loop Line is one of three lines linking London with Dartford in Kent, England. It lies to the south of the other two: the North Kent Line and the Bexleyheath Line.-Construction:...
.
Railtrack plc
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
, SEIMCL and STRCL were each convicted of various offences under section 3 of the Health & Safety at work etc. Act 1974 resulting in fines totalling £150,000 and £41,768 awarded to the Health and Safety Executive
Health and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Executive is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. It is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland...
. In his sentencing remarks, the judge said that it "was merciful that nobody was killed although four people were injured". The Inspectorate report describes it as "fortunate" that nobody was killed.
The primary cause of the accident was found to be a combination of very poor track maintenance and an overloaded train. Although the train was travelling above the speed limit, it is unclear whether this was a factor of the accident.
Phrases such as:
- "Bridge timbers Very bad condition"
- "wheel timbers needs changing (urgently)"
- "Extremely rotten bridge timber requires urgent attention"
- "New 6 foot timber req. urgent twist on bridge, tie bars cannot be fitted - programmed urgent"
- "Timbers 7 and 10 - "Expired"
were all reported within three months before the accident. Engineering works had been arranged since these comments and before the derailment but the work was not organised. The Inspectorate Report found that contractors were not carrying out their contracts adequately and that Railtrack was not assessing their contractors adequately.
The train was found to be overloaded because the inspection by EWS the previous night was done visually and not measured in any accurate way.
The train was found to have been speeding for two reasons:
- The driver had not been trained in the two-third ruleTwo-third ruleFor safety reasons, railway lines are assessed and a speed limit imposed on trains running on that line. Many factors can affect the speed limit of a particular line including the state of the track, the curvature of the track, the number of stations, the individual features of stations or...
so had considered the speed limit to be 60 mph instead of 40 mph. This was because the driver ordinarily drove passenger trains. - The speedometer in the cab of the leading locomotive was recording an incorrect speed.
The train was a double-headed Class 37
British Rail Class 37
The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
train; the leading locomotive was 37167 and the second locomotive was 37220. The train was operating the 6Y56 from Three Bridges
Three Bridges
Three Bridges is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley, in the county of West Sussex in England.-History:Three Bridges was a tiny hamlet, which first began to grow with the coming of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841...
, Sussex to Hoo Junction
Hoo Junction
Hoo Junction is a rail yard on the North Kent Line. It is located near the village of Higham, Kent and also Shorne Marshes; it is operated by EWS...
, near Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The train consisted of 19 wagons. The two locomotives and the first 11 wagons were not derailed and did not sustain damage.
External links
- Railway Archives - Railway accident at Bexley (Summary)
- Railway Archives - Railway accident at Bexley (Full report; PDF; 2 Mb)