Lockerbie railway station
Encyclopedia
Lockerbie railway station lies on the West Coast Main Line
between Carlisle
and Carstairs
in Lockerbie
, Dumfries and Galloway
, Scotland.
passed a signal and entered the station at 11.25pm. It collided at low speed, with a goods train already on the nouthbound line. This collision, though minor, forced carriages from the goods train onto the southbound line and into the path of the speeding Glasgow Express which smashed into the wreckage and derailed onto the station platform. Seven people were killed, including the driver
and fireman of the express. The guard
from the express ran down the line to warn another approaching train of the accident and prevented a further collision. There were 300 injuries. The driver of the first train, the Lockerbie station master and the local inspection regime were all criticised for their actions in the subsequent report on the crash.
Lockerbie station, at one time, was one of only eight stations in the UK (some others being Long Buckby
and ) to be operated by a train company whose services did not call at that station. It is owned by Network Rail
, and managed by First ScotRail
but all services are provided by either Virgin Trains
or First TransPennine Express
. However, following some changes in franchises, there are now several other stations that are similarly managed.
In terms of services there is a train approximately every two hours to either Edinburgh (stopping at Haymarket) or Glasgow Central, and a service approximately every two hours to Manchester and Manchester Airport via the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
between Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
and Carstairs
Carstairs
The name Carstairs refers to a pair of villages located some 4–5 miles east of the town of Lanark in the administrative region of South Lanarkshire in southern Scotland....
in Lockerbie
Lockerbie
Lockerbie is a town in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south-western Scotland. It lies approximately from Glasgow, and from the English border. It had a population of 4,009 at the 2001 census...
, Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, Scotland.
1883 crash
On 4 May 1883, an accident occurred when the branch service from Stranraer via the Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie RailwayDumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway
Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway was a railway in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. It connected Dumfries with Lockerbie. It is now closed.-History:...
passed a signal and entered the station at 11.25pm. It collided at low speed, with a goods train already on the nouthbound line. This collision, though minor, forced carriages from the goods train onto the southbound line and into the path of the speeding Glasgow Express which smashed into the wreckage and derailed onto the station platform. Seven people were killed, including the driver
Railroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
and fireman of the express. The guard
Brakeman
A brakeman is a rail transport worker whose original job it was to assist the braking of a train by applying brakes on individual wagons. The advent of through brakes on trains made this role redundant, although the name lives on in the United States where brakemen carry out a variety of functions...
from the express ran down the line to warn another approaching train of the accident and prevented a further collision. There were 300 injuries. The driver of the first train, the Lockerbie station master and the local inspection regime were all criticised for their actions in the subsequent report on the crash.
Services and current operations
Long Buckby railway station
Long Buckby railway station is a small railway station that serves the village of Long Buckby in Northamptonshire, England. The station is 15 km north west of Northampton....
and ) to be operated by a train company whose services did not call at that station. It is owned by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
, and managed by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
but all services are provided by either Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
or First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
. However, following some changes in franchises, there are now several other stations that are similarly managed.
In terms of services there is a train approximately every two hours to either Edinburgh (stopping at Haymarket) or Glasgow Central, and a service approximately every two hours to Manchester and Manchester Airport via the West Coast Main Line