Connington South rail crash
Encyclopedia
The Connington South rail crash occurred on 5 March 1967 on the East Coast Main Line
near the village of Conington, Huntingdonshire
, England
. Five passengers were killed and 18 were injured.
The 22:30 express
from King's Cross to Edinburgh
, hauled by a Deltic locomotive
, was travelling along the Down Fast line at around 75 mph when the rear portion of the train was derailed to the left. The last four coaches came to rest on their sides and two others were derailed.
showed that the Home signal
had been at Danger when the accident occurred, but the driver and secondman stated that it was at Green until it passed out of their sight.
Just beyond the Home signal there were points
for controlling movements from the Down Fast to the Down Goods line, and it was on these that the train was derailed. The points were locked in position by two means:
No fault was found with either the track or the train.
Immediately after the accident, 20 year old signalman
A. J. Frost claimed that he had accidentally changed the points while "swinging" on the levers. The public inquiry
into the accident surmised that, as the train approached Connington South signal box
, the signalman had:
This sequence would have had to have occurred in the time between the train passing the Home signal and running on to the track circuit, i.e. in less than two seconds. Tests were conducted using a similar signalling frame to the one at Connington South and it was found that an experienced signalman could just about manage to reproduce the sequence. Thus, it was shown that the interlocking could be defeated.
It was clear that the signalman had stood for some seconds with the points lever slightly out of its frame, moved it just as the sixth coach was passing over it, then returned it to its normal position. This would be a premeditated rather than an accidental act.
. He had been discharged after suffering from "hysteria and immature personality", but this was not known to the railway management at the time, even though his references had been taken up.
He was tried on charges of manslaughter
and endangering the safety of railway passengers in November 1968. After a trial lasting 11 days, the judge
instructed the jury
to acquit him on the charges of manslaughter and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment
for unlawfully operating the signal and points mechanism of the Connington South signal box so as to endanger persons being conveyed on a railway, on which charge the signalman had changed his plea
to guilty.
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
near the village of Conington, Huntingdonshire
Conington, Huntingdonshire
Conington is a small village in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire. It lies within earshot of Ermine Street, now called the Great North Road, about south of Peterborough and north of Sawtry....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Five passengers were killed and 18 were injured.
The 22:30 express
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
from King's Cross to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, hauled by a Deltic locomotive
British Rail Class 55
The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
, was travelling along the Down Fast line at around 75 mph when the rear portion of the train was derailed to the left. The last four coaches came to rest on their sides and two others were derailed.
Investigation
The interlockingInterlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
showed that the Home signal
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
had been at Danger when the accident occurred, but the driver and secondman stated that it was at Green until it passed out of their sight.
Just beyond the Home signal there were points
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
for controlling movements from the Down Fast to the Down Goods line, and it was on these that the train was derailed. The points were locked in position by two means:
- A standard mechanical lock, operated by a lever in the lever frameLever frameMechanical railway signalling installations rely on lever frames for their operation to interlock the signals and points to allow the safe operation of trains in the area the signals control...
. It could not be released unless the Home signal was at Danger. - An electrical lock, which engaged if a track circuitTrack circuitA track circuit is a simple electrical device used to detect the absence of a train on rail tracks, used to inform signallers and control relevant signals.- Principles and operation :...
just beyond the Home signal was occupied by a train.
No fault was found with either the track or the train.
Immediately after the accident, 20 year old signalman
Signalman (rail)
A signalman or signaller is an employee of a railway transport network who operates the points and signals from a signal box in order to control the movement of trains.- History :...
A. J. Frost claimed that he had accidentally changed the points while "swinging" on the levers. The public inquiry
Public inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
into the accident surmised that, as the train approached Connington South signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
, the signalman had:
- Replaced the Home signal to Danger just as the locomotive reached it.
- Pulled the point lock lever to withdraw the mechanical lock.
- Raised the latch of the point lever just before the electrical lock operated.
This sequence would have had to have occurred in the time between the train passing the Home signal and running on to the track circuit, i.e. in less than two seconds. Tests were conducted using a similar signalling frame to the one at Connington South and it was found that an experienced signalman could just about manage to reproduce the sequence. Thus, it was shown that the interlocking could be defeated.
It was clear that the signalman had stood for some seconds with the points lever slightly out of its frame, moved it just as the sixth coach was passing over it, then returned it to its normal position. This would be a premeditated rather than an accidental act.
Consequences
The signalman had entered the railway service in January 1965 after serving with the Royal MarinesRoyal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. He had been discharged after suffering from "hysteria and immature personality", but this was not known to the railway management at the time, even though his references had been taken up.
He was tried on charges of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
and endangering the safety of railway passengers in November 1968. After a trial lasting 11 days, the judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
instructed the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
to acquit him on the charges of manslaughter and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
for unlawfully operating the signal and points mechanism of the Connington South signal box so as to endanger persons being conveyed on a railway, on which charge the signalman had changed his plea
Plea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
to guilty.