Irk Valley Junction rail crash
Encyclopedia
The Irk Valley Junction rail crash occurred on 15 August 1953 at Collyhurst
, just over a mile from Manchester Victoria station
. At that point, the electrified line to Bury
passes through Irk Valley Junction, so called because it lies on a viaduct above the River Irk
. At 07:40 on the morning of 15 August 1953, the 07:20 electric train
from Bury collided with the 07:36 steam passenger train to Bacup
hauled by a Class 4P 2-6-4 tank engine. The leading electric coach struck and overturned the steam engine and smashed through the parapet wall. The front of the carriage fell 40 feet (12.2 m) onto the bank of the river; the rear fell 70 feet (21.3 m) into the shallow river itself. Nine passengers and the driver of the electric train were killed. The crash occurred on a Saturday; had it been a weekday, the casualties would likely have been far higher.
The investigation revealed that the causes of the accident were twofold. Firstly the electric train passed the home signal at danger. Analysing the previous 110 runnings of the 07:20 train showed that the signal in question had not once been at danger; moreover the distant signal was at caution on 101 occasions. The driver appeared to have therefore missed the home signal as it was always clear in the past, and ignored the distant signal as it was normally at caution anyway and was normally cleared by the time he reached it.
The signalman was also at fault for not checking that the electric train had stopped before allowing the steam train through. The absolute block
system was in place, but was not being operated in accordance with the regulations. An analysis of the records revealed that the signal boxes in this area had frequently operated outside the guidelines, although until the fateful morning without serious consequence.
Collyhurst
Collyhurst is a locality in Manchester. It is 1½ miles northeast of Manchester city centre, on Rochdale Road and Oldham Road. The River Irk passes through the area...
, just over a mile from Manchester Victoria station
Manchester Victoria station
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
. At that point, the electrified line to Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
passes through Irk Valley Junction, so called because it lies on a viaduct above the River Irk
River Irk
The River Irk is a river in Greater Manchester in North West England that flows through the northern suburbs of Manchester before merging with the River Irwell in Manchester city centre....
. At 07:40 on the morning of 15 August 1953, the 07:20 electric train
LYR electric units
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway electrified urban railway lines in Liverpool and Manchester in order to improve the service offered against the competition being put up by new electric tramways.-Liverpool electrification:...
from Bury collided with the 07:36 steam passenger train to Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
hauled by a Class 4P 2-6-4 tank engine. The leading electric coach struck and overturned the steam engine and smashed through the parapet wall. The front of the carriage fell 40 feet (12.2 m) onto the bank of the river; the rear fell 70 feet (21.3 m) into the shallow river itself. Nine passengers and the driver of the electric train were killed. The crash occurred on a Saturday; had it been a weekday, the casualties would likely have been far higher.
The investigation revealed that the causes of the accident were twofold. Firstly the electric train passed the home signal at danger. Analysing the previous 110 runnings of the 07:20 train showed that the signal in question had not once been at danger; moreover the distant signal was at caution on 101 occasions. The driver appeared to have therefore missed the home signal as it was always clear in the past, and ignored the distant signal as it was normally at caution anyway and was normally cleared by the time he reached it.
The signalman was also at fault for not checking that the electric train had stopped before allowing the steam train through. The absolute block
British absolute block signalling
The principle of the British absolute block system of railway signalling is to ensure the safe operation of a railway by allowing only one train to occupy a defined section of track at a time...
system was in place, but was not being operated in accordance with the regulations. An analysis of the records revealed that the signal boxes in this area had frequently operated outside the guidelines, although until the fateful morning without serious consequence.