Spa Road Junction rail crash
Encyclopedia
The Spa Road Junction rail crash was an accident on the British railway system which occurred during the peak evening rush hour of 8 January 1999 at Spa Road Junction in Bermondsey
, southeast London
.
train from Dover Priory
to London Charing Cross collided with a Thameslink
train from Brighton
to Bedford
causing derailment to both trains. The accident resulted in no fatalities and four injuries.
The Thameslink train had been held at a danger (red) signal until the track ahead was clear before the signal for that train was changed to clear (green). The Connex train passed a preliminary caution (double yellow) signal then a caution (yellow) signal and then a danger (red) signal. The Connex train continued for 283 metres (309 yards) past the red signal until the point where the two lines converged. The Connex train was travelling at an estimated speed of around 39 mph when it converged with the Thameslink train estimated to be travelling at around 31 mph. This caused both trains to derail and damage to be caused to most of the rolling stock.
Disruption was caused to other rail services, although trains continued to run past the accident site. The emergency services struggled to access the accident scene but eventually 282 people were evacuated from these two trains. 200 people from another train a short distance behind (Connex South Central
service from London Bridge to Guildford train) was not well organised resulting in some passengers being left to find their own way to evacuate themselves in the inclement weather. Trains were still running on the south eastern side, some 30 to 40 feet away from passengers evacuating the Guildford bound train.
It is thought that the Automatic Warning System
(AWS) indicators on both trains were working correctly, although the shock of a collision can change the appearance of an AWS indicator.
The driver of the Connex train had previously passed another signal at danger and was already under special supervision because of this. Following the accident, he was permanently removed from driving duties. This particular signal had never been passed at danger (red) before.
train (now First Capital Connect
) was an eight-coach train consisting of two Class 319
four-coach electric multiple units (EMUs).
The Connex South Eastern
train (now Southeastern
) was also an eight-coach train consisting of a four-coach Class 411
EMU and a four-coach Class 423
EMU.
(HSE) concluded that the accident was caused by the Connex train passing a signal at danger (red). The HSE concluded that this was probably due to human error as no evidence of malfunction was found in any equipment tested.
The investigation of the accident found "deficiencies" in the training and experience of staff in dealing with emergency situations. The cause of the accident was concluded to be driver error due to poor staff training.
The conclusion was train protection might have stopped or at least slowed the Connex train down if it had been installed. The Railway Safety Regulations 1999 were introduced in the August, which stipulated that train protection must be implemented throughout the network by the end of 2003. The regulations stopped short of requiring Automatic Train Protection
(ATP) to be installed.
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
, southeast London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The incident
On a dark and wet evening, a Connex South EasternConnex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent...
train from Dover Priory
Dover Priory
The Priory of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Martin of the New Work, or Newark, commonly called Dover Priory, was a priory at Dover in southeast England...
to London Charing Cross collided with a Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
train from Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
to Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
causing derailment to both trains. The accident resulted in no fatalities and four injuries.
The Thameslink train had been held at a danger (red) signal until the track ahead was clear before the signal for that train was changed to clear (green). The Connex train passed a preliminary caution (double yellow) signal then a caution (yellow) signal and then a danger (red) signal. The Connex train continued for 283 metres (309 yards) past the red signal until the point where the two lines converged. The Connex train was travelling at an estimated speed of around 39 mph when it converged with the Thameslink train estimated to be travelling at around 31 mph. This caused both trains to derail and damage to be caused to most of the rolling stock.
Disruption was caused to other rail services, although trains continued to run past the accident site. The emergency services struggled to access the accident scene but eventually 282 people were evacuated from these two trains. 200 people from another train a short distance behind (Connex South Central
Connex South Central
Connex South Central was a short-lived train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group, and operated under the Connex brand between October 1996 until mid-2001....
service from London Bridge to Guildford train) was not well organised resulting in some passengers being left to find their own way to evacuate themselves in the inclement weather. Trains were still running on the south eastern side, some 30 to 40 feet away from passengers evacuating the Guildford bound train.
It is thought that 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...
(AWS) indicators on both trains were working correctly, although the shock of a collision can change the appearance of an AWS indicator.
The driver of the Connex train had previously passed another signal at danger and was already under special supervision because of this. Following the accident, he was permanently removed from driving duties. This particular signal had never been passed at danger (red) before.
The junction
Spa Road Junction is a large junction a short distance south east of London Bridge station where the railway line splits into four directions towards (listed from north to south):- Deptford for trains to Greenwich
- New Cross for trains to all other destinations along the main line to southeast London and Kent
- New Cross Gate for trains to Forest Hill or East Croydon
- South Bermondsey for trains to Peckham Rye and the South London Line
Vehicles
The ThameslinkThameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
train (now First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
) was an eight-coach train consisting of two Class 319
British Rail Class 319
The British Rail Class 319 dual-voltage electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches in 1987–88 and 1990. The trains were introduced for new north-south cross-London services from Bedford to Brighton, and since privatisation these services have been operated by Thameslink and...
four-coach electric multiple units (EMUs).
The Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent...
train (now Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
) was also an eight-coach train consisting of a four-coach Class 411
British Rail Class 411
The British Rail Class 411 electrical multiple units were built at Eastleigh works from 1956-63 for the newly electrified main lines in Kent. These units were based on the earlier Southern Railway 4Cor design, built in 1937. They were replaced by Juniper units.-Description:A total of 133 units...
EMU and a four-coach Class 423
British Rail Class 423
The British Rail Class 423 electrical multiple units were built by BR at York Works from 1967 to 1974, although the MBSOs and TSOs of the first 20, 7701-7720, were constructed at Derby Works. They feature manually-opening doors next to every seating row and were the last coaching stock built in...
EMU.
Investigation
The Health and Safety ExecutiveHealth and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Executive is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. It is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland...
(HSE) concluded that the accident was caused by the Connex train passing a signal at danger (red). The HSE concluded that this was probably due to human error as no evidence of malfunction was found in any equipment tested.
The investigation of the accident found "deficiencies" in the training and experience of staff in dealing with emergency situations. The cause of the accident was concluded to be driver error due to poor staff training.
The conclusion was train protection might have stopped or at least slowed the Connex train down if it had been installed. The Railway Safety Regulations 1999 were introduced in the August, which stipulated that train protection must be implemented throughout the network by the end of 2003. The regulations stopped short of requiring Automatic Train Protection
Automatic Train Protection
Automatic Train Protection in Great Britain refers to either of two implementations of a train protection system installed in some trains in order to help prevent collisions through a driver's failure to observe a signal or speed restriction...
(ATP) to be installed.
External links
- Railways Archive - Accident at Spa Road (Summary)
- Railways Archive - Report by the Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate into the train accident at Spa Road (PDF)