{"id":74455,"date":"2016-09-26T09:59:05","date_gmt":"2016-09-26T09:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=c7b4e2a78c96155b2dd982d955203e0c"},"modified":"2016-09-26T09:59:05","modified_gmt":"2016-09-26T09:59:05","slug":"news-story-derailment-and-collision-watford-tunnel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=74455","title":{"rendered":"News story: Derailment and collision, Watford tunnel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At about 06:55 hrs on Friday 16 September 2016, a southbound passenger train was travelling at about 70 mph (112 km\/h) on the up slow line of the West Coast Main Line, when the leading carriage was derailed by a landslip just before entering the northern portal of Watford tunnel. The train stopped in the tunnel, partly blocking the adjacent line. About two minutes later, it was struck a glancing blow by a northbound passenger train which did not derail. Two passengers suffered minor injuries. Both trains suffered significant damage, including the cab to saloon door on the derailed train becoming jammed.<\/p>\n

The southbound train was the 06:19 hrs service from Milton Keynes to London Euston, comprising two four-coach class 350 electric multiple units; a total of eight coaches. The northbound service was the 06:34 hrs service from London Euston to Birmingham and was formed by one four-coach class 350 unit. The two trains were carrying more than 150 passengers who were transferred onto another train which took them from the tunnel at about 10:40 hrs.<\/p>\n

The driver of the southbound train used an emergency facility on the train\u2019s in-cab radio to alert other train drivers. The driver of the northbound train received the emergency stop message via his in-cab radio and applied the brake, slowing the train from 80 mph (129 km\/h) to 32 mph (51 km\/h) before the collision.<\/p>\n

The landslip material which caused the derailment had slid from the steep-sided, deep cutting on the tunnel approach after very heavy rainfall in the two hours immediately before the accident. The preceding southbound train had passed the site without incident at 06:43 hrs. The sides of this cutting were being strengthened at the time of the accident, but this work had not yet reached the location where the landslip occurred.<\/p>\n

Our investigation will identify the sequence of events that led to the accident.<\/p>\n

It will also include consideration of:<\/p>\n