Paisley Gilmour Street rail crash
Encyclopedia
The Paisley Gilmour Street rail accident occurred on 16 April 1979 at 19:50. The 19:40 Inverclyde Line
service from Glasgow Central to Wemyss Bay
, operated by two Class 303
trains, crossed from the Down Fast Line to the Down Gourock Line under clear signals at Wallneuk Junction immediately to the east of Paisley Gilmour Street railway station
. It collided head-on with the 18:58 Ayrshire Coast Line
special service from Ayr
to Glasgow Central, formed of two Class 126
diesel multiple units, which had left Platform 2 against a red signal P31.
(signal passed at danger) accident known as ding-ding, and away
. This accident prompted British Rail
to change the Rules so that the bell or "Right Away" signal is only given when the Starting signal has been cleared.
Both drivers and five passengers were killed. 67 passengers and the guard of the Class 303 were injured and were taken to hospital
. Only three of these remained in hospital.
and Paisley Gilmour Street station. A number of trains were trapped west of Paisley St James, after a few hours a limited train service ran between Paisley St James and Gourock
and Paisley St James. The Wemyss Bay line was closed.
The Ayrshire Coast services were diverted onto the Paisley Canal Line
, which at that time was running services from Glasgow Central station to Kilmacolm
, rejoining the Ayrshire Coast Line at Elderslie junction.
Both lines were handed back for normal operations at 23:00 on 17 April.
Inverclyde Line
The Inverclyde Line is a railway line running from Glasgow Central station through Paisley and a series of stations to the south of the River Clyde and the Firth of Clyde, terminating at Gourock and Wemyss Bay, where it connects to Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services...
service from Glasgow Central to Wemyss Bay
Wemyss Bay railway station
Wemyss Bay railway station serves the village of Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde, Scotland. The station is a terminus on the Inverclyde Line, about west of . The station incorporates the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry terminal connecting mainland Scotland to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute...
, operated by two Class 303
British Rail Class 303
The British Rail Class 303 electric multiple units, also known as "Blue Train" units, were introduced in 1960 for the electrification of the North Clyde and the Cathcart Circle lines in Strathclyde...
trains, crossed from the Down Fast Line to the Down Gourock Line under clear signals at Wallneuk Junction immediately to the east of Paisley Gilmour Street railway station
Paisley Gilmour Street railway station
Paisley Gilmour Street railway station is one of four stations serving the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland . The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Ayrshire Coast Line, 12 km west of...
. It collided head-on with the 18:58 Ayrshire Coast Line
Ayrshire Coast Line
The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow...
special service from Ayr
Ayr railway station
Ayr railway station serves the town of Ayr in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated in Smith Street, off Burns Statue Square. The station, which is managed by First ScotRail, is on the Ayrshire Coast Line, south-west of Glasgow Central railway station....
to Glasgow Central, formed of two Class 126
British Rail Class 126
The British Rail Class 126 diesel multiple unit was built by BR Swindon Works in 1959/60 to work services from Glasgow to Ayrshire and comprised 22 Motor Second vehicles , 22 Motor Brake Second , 10 Kitchen Trailer First and 11 Trailer Composite vehicles formed into 22 3-car sets formed Motor...
diesel multiple units, which had left Platform 2 against a red signal P31.
Factors
The DMU had started away from the platform with the signal at Red. A type of SPADSignal passed at danger
A Signal passed at danger , in British railway terminology, occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authority to do so. It is a term primarily used within the British Railway Industry, although it can be applied worldwide.-Categories of SPAD:...
(signal passed at danger) accident known as ding-ding, and away
Ding-ding, and away
Ding-ding, and away is a slang expression used by the UK Media and railway enthusiasts to describe an incident in the British railway industry where a train driver is incorrectly given a bell code or green flag telling him to start the train despite the platform starting signal being at danger, and...
. This accident prompted British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
to change the Rules so that the bell or "Right Away" signal is only given when the Starting signal has been cleared.
Both drivers and five passengers were killed. 67 passengers and the guard of the Class 303 were injured and were taken to hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. Only three of these remained in hospital.
Aftermath
Immediately after the accident the power was turned off on the Inverclyde Line; and a bus service substituted between Paisley St JamesPaisley St James railway station
Paisley St James railway station is on the Inverclyde Line, serving a residential district of Paisley, Scotland, just west of the town centre...
and Paisley Gilmour Street station. A number of trains were trapped west of Paisley St James, after a few hours a limited train service ran between Paisley St James and Gourock
Gourock railway station
Gourock railway station is a terminus of the Inverclyde Line, located at Gourock pierhead and serving the town as well as the ferry services it was originally built for...
and Paisley St James. The Wemyss Bay line was closed.
The Ayrshire Coast services were diverted onto the Paisley Canal Line
Paisley Canal Line
The Paisley Canal Railway line was originally a Glasgow and South Western Railway branch line running from Glasgow, Scotland, through three stations in Paisley, to North Johnstone...
, which at that time was running services from Glasgow Central station to Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley south-east of Greenock and around west of the city of Glasgow...
, rejoining the Ayrshire Coast Line at Elderslie junction.
Both lines were handed back for normal operations at 23:00 on 17 April.
Sources
- Hall, Stanley (1999). Hidden Dangers: Railway Safety in the Era of Privatisation. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-2679-3.