Nuneaton rail crash
Encyclopedia
The Nuneaton rail crash was a train crash which occurred on 6 June 1975, on the West Coast Main Line
just south of Nuneaton railway station
in Warwickshire
, England
.
It happened when the 23:30 sleeper from London Euston to Glasgow
was derailed after entering a temporary speed restriction at too high a speed. Six people (four passengers and two staff) died and 38 were injured. In the subsequent inquiry, the accident was deemed to have been caused by driver error, partially due to the failure of lineside equipment warning of the speed restriction.
electric locomotive
s (nos. 86006 and 86242; both later repaired) and fifteen carriages, including twelve sleeping car
s.
Just south of Nuneaton station, there was a speed restriction of 20 mph for a distance of just over a mile, owing to a track remodelling
scheme. Approximately a mile before the restriction, there was a board giving advance warning of the restriction. This board should have been illuminated, but was not. The driver claimed that he wrongly assumed that this meant the restriction had been lifted, and so did not slow the train. The board marking the actual start of the restriction, however, was lit, but by the time the driver saw this, it was too late.
Despite an emergency brake application, the train entered the 20 mph restriction at a speed estimated at around 70 mph and became derailed on a length of temporary track being used during the remodelling scheme. The locomotives became detached from one another, the second mounting the northbound platform and causing damage to the station. The first two vehicles stayed mainly upright, but the next four fell onto their sides and were badly crushed. All the fatalities and most of the injuries occurred in these four sleeping cars. Every vehicle on the train was derailed except the last. Over a quarter of a mile of track was destroyed along with three lineside electrification gantries
, and severe damage was caused to an overhead road bridge, numerous other items of trackside equipment, and the locomotive of a passing freight train (Class 25
number 25286). It was noted in the inquiry that casualties would have been much higher if not for the lightly loaded nature of the train (there were fewer than 100 passengers on board).
.jpg)
The inquiry, conducted by Major C.F.Rose, found the accident to be due to the following causes;
The driver, Mr J. McKay, was later charged with manslaughter
but found not guilty. A number of recommendations to prevent a recurrence of the accident were accepted by the British Railways Board
, and the later installation of the Automatic Warning System
ensured that drivers were given audible notice of speed restrictions.
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...
just south of Nuneaton railway station
Nuneaton railway station
Nuneaton railway station serves the large town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England. The station is managed by London Midland.It is situated at the point where the Birmingham - Leicester route crosses the Trent Valley Line section of the West Coast Main Line north of London Euston, with a branch...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 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...
.
It happened when the 23:30 sleeper from London Euston to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
was derailed after entering a temporary speed restriction at too high a speed. Six people (four passengers and two staff) died and 38 were injured. In the subsequent inquiry, the accident was deemed to have been caused by driver error, partially due to the failure of lineside equipment warning of the speed restriction.
The accident
The accident occurred at approximately 01.55, as the train approached Nuneaton station. The train was running over an hour late owing to a locomotive failure further south, and was composed of two Class 86British Rail Class 86
The British Rail Class 86 was the standard electric locomotive built during the 1960s, developed as a result of testing with the earlier Classes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85. One hundred of these locomotives were built from 1965-1966 by either English Electric at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, or...
electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s (nos. 86006 and 86242; both later repaired) and fifteen carriages, including twelve sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s.
Just south of Nuneaton station, there was a speed restriction of 20 mph for a distance of just over a mile, owing to a track remodelling
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
scheme. Approximately a mile before the restriction, there was a board giving advance warning of the restriction. This board should have been illuminated, but was not. The driver claimed that he wrongly assumed that this meant the restriction had been lifted, and so did not slow the train. The board marking the actual start of the restriction, however, was lit, but by the time the driver saw this, it was too late.
Despite an emergency brake application, the train entered the 20 mph restriction at a speed estimated at around 70 mph and became derailed on a length of temporary track being used during the remodelling scheme. The locomotives became detached from one another, the second mounting the northbound platform and causing damage to the station. The first two vehicles stayed mainly upright, but the next four fell onto their sides and were badly crushed. All the fatalities and most of the injuries occurred in these four sleeping cars. Every vehicle on the train was derailed except the last. Over a quarter of a mile of track was destroyed along with three lineside electrification gantries
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, and severe damage was caused to an overhead road bridge, numerous other items of trackside equipment, and the locomotive of a passing freight train (Class 25
Class 25
Class 25 may refer to:* British Rail Class 25* DRG Class ET 25, German electric multiples built for the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the 1930s.* East German express locomotives operated by the DR after World War II:** DR Class 25.0, a Neubaulokomotive...
number 25286). It was noted in the inquiry that casualties would have been much higher if not for the lightly loaded nature of the train (there were fewer than 100 passengers on board).
The Inquiry
- It was found that the gas equipment which powered the warning lights on the advance warning board was not being used properly, and had thus gone out;
- A number of drivers on preceding trains noticed that the lights had gone out, yet did not stop at Nuneaton to report the fact;
- Although he claimed otherwise, it was thought likely that the driver, in his haste to make up lost time, forgot about the speed restriction without the reminder of the advance warning board.
The driver, Mr J. McKay, was later charged with 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...
but found not guilty. A number of recommendations to prevent a recurrence of the accident were accepted by the British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
, and the later installation of the Automatic Warning System
Automatic Warning System
The Automatic Warning System is a form of limited cab signalling and train protection system introduced in 1956 in the United Kingdom to help train drivers observe and obey signals. It was based on a 1930 system developed by Alfred Ernest Hudd and marketed as the "Strowger-Hudd" system...
ensured that drivers were given audible notice of speed restrictions.