Great Western Coffee Shop

A spokesman for Network Rail said the worker was at Kennet Bridge , east of Reading station and about a mile from where other track workers were carrying out overnight repairs (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7118328.stm

He was hit by an empty First Great Western train , which was heading from the Reading depot to Slough for the first service of the day.

"A railway worker who died when he was struck by a train near Reading Station had not been keeping an adequate lookout, a report has found.  The 62-year-old maintenance worker was clearing up at the end of an overnight shift at Kennet Bridge when the train hit him at 60mph on 29 November, 2007.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) also found his view was probably obscured by an umbrella.  Network Rail said it was already acting on the report's findings.

The RAIB investigation report stated: "The immediate cause of the accident was that the worker was walking on an open line without keeping an adequate lookout for the trains."

For the BBC news report, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7695683.stm

For the full RAIB report, see http://www.raib.gov.uk/publications/investigation_reports/reports_2008/report212008.cfm

also if it was the incident i think it was he had given up the possesion just prior to lifting the protection and was hit by the turbo while bending down to remove the dets.

At a recent brief given to us by Andy Henderson he said that the person had removed the protection and had given up the possession to the signaler and was walking back to the access point in the four foot in the dark and it was raining with a raised umbrella!!!!!!!!!!!!!   As he had given up the possession the signaler quite correctly signaled a train to use the line, the guy who was an experienced PICOP made a number of errors, giving up the possession when he was not in a position of safety given the conditions and to use an umbrella when walking on the line.

The senior management of NR are carrying out a root and branch review of how engineering blocks are taken, one question is do we need in the 21st century need to use dets and marker boards to protect a possession when we rely on the signaling system to protect trains so why not personnel working on the line.

He had removed the warning board and lifted the detonator protection and had confirmed he had done so to the PICOP who then gave up the possession and told the Reading signaller. The track worker was walking back to the track access gate where his van was parked when he was hit by the empty stock train.

This seems like an avoidable fatality as the worker was not wearing his full high-visibility clothing and was using an umbrella so didn't see the train approaching. The train driver only saw him a few seconds before the impact. The track worker had carried out the same role at the same location (the normal blocking point for the up and down relief lines) 30 times in the previous year so perhaps familiarity led to this tragic accident. All in all very sad for everyone involved.

Indeed, a very sad event - and, with the benefit of hindsight, another avoidable one.  :(

By the way, for the benefit of the puzzled (as I was): PICOP is Person In Charge Of Possession - perhaps grahame could add that to our 'acronyms' page?

Done ... page at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/acronyms.html

Wow! No sooner said than done!  Thanks, grahame!  :)

I would say yes dets and marker boards are still essential. If you rely on the signalling system then you are relying on a lever collar, cover over the button or locking the signal via the software and the signalman's memory alone. Even if the track circuits are shorted or disconnected to keep the signal at red then there comes a time at the end of the possession that they have to be restored to working order which frees up the signal.  Marker boards and dets are basically a back up for the signalman's memory, so if for some reason (mistake) a train does enter the possession the driver and the track workers are alterted.

Presumably the PICOP uses a mobile to lift the possession after removing and safely stowing the boards and dets so perhaps more emphasis on doing this from a safe place rather than from the site which might involve a walk along or across the lines to get to safety.

Dets are still one of the most effective safety measures to stop trains in an emergency.

You could also add COSS   (Controller of Site Safety)

Dets did not help the guys at Tebay in Feb 2004

Dets on possession that cover large track lengths are not much help, there are number of new systems being looked at.  Where and engineer has a train or machine on the line that can operate track circuits then this is being considered as one method of taking a block, there are a number of methods being looked at by the industry in conjunction with the HMRI

Another term to add is ES Engineering Supervisor - they set up a work site within a possession

On a related note, the RAIB are advertising for Rail Accident Inspectors (link below.)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/recruitment/vacancies/jobraibinvestigators

Further article link.
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2038348_brolly_blocked_view_of_approaching_train

Hmmm.


And, in the circumstances, I think it was rather tactless of the Reading Evening Post to ask her to do so.  ???

Very tactless. Indeed I don't see what purpose getting a comment from her would serve. It's very easy to criticise - I'm sure most of us make mistakes in our work. Fortunately they don't have the life or death implications that those in some occupations, including trackside workers, have. As sadly this instance proved.

Having been a moderator on a Reading based website, I know the 'Evening Post' of old and could cite other examples of insensitive journalism, especially when covering accidental deaths.  That said, the quality of most evening papers is of a pretty low standard.