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https://www.worthingherald.co.uk/news/train-driver-confirmed-dead-after-incident-at-west-worthing-station-3552565

British Transport Police officers were called to West Worthing Station just after 9pm last night (Tuesday, February 1), following reports of a casualty on the tracks.

Rail incident and Sussex Police officers were also pictured at the scene last night and into the early hours of this morning (Wednesday).

Angie Doll, managing director of Southern Rail, said: “We are devastated to confirm that one of our train drivers was pronounced dead.

TSSA sends ‘deepest condolences’ to family of dead train driver

Transport and travel union, TSSA, has offered its ‘deepest condolences’ to the family of a Southern Railway train driver who was killed in the course of his work.

The man, who has not been named, was found on the tracks near West Worthing station in Sussex on Tuesday night (1 Feb).

British Transport Police are working to establish exactly what happened and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has begun an investigation.

Commenting, TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, said: “It is always heart breaking to learn of the death of a member of our wider railway community. Our union sends our deepest condolences to the family of the driver who was killed.

“No one should die at work, and I have no doubt a full investigation will get to the bottom of what happened in this tragic case. 

“Our union takes safety on our railways incredibly seriously and we will continue doing everything we can, working with sister unions and others, to make sure our rail network is safe for workers and passengers alike.”

A train driver has been struck and killed by a passing train, after leaving his cab when waiting in a siding.

Train driver struck and fatally injured. At around 20:33 hrs on 1 February 2022, a train traveling at approximately 33 mph (53 km/h) passed a stationary train that was waiting in a siding, around 300 metres to the west of West Worthing station. As it did so, it struck and fatally injured the driver of the stationary train, who had previously exited the train’s cab and descended to track level.

The train driver who was struck had earlier driven his train from Brighton to West Worthing and had then driven it into the siding where the accident occurred. The train was timetabled to wait here for a short time before returning to West Worthing station and forming the next passenger service to Brighton. Train drivers should not normally need to leave their trains as part of their duties while waiting in this siding.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is undertaking an investigation which will seek to identify the sequence of events which led to the accident. It will also consider:

the actions of those involved, including how the train driver involved came to be in a position where he could be struck by the passing train
the methods of working used by staff working on and around the siding
the layout and condition of the siding involved
any underlying factors.
The RAIB will publish the findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of the investigation.

Staff and passengers working and travelling on Britain’s railways deserve decent facilities. That has always been our belief.

And that is what we always press for in negotiations with the train and freight operating companies.

We will use World Toilet Day on Saturday 19 November – a United Nations observance day 'designed to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis' – to again lobby the government, train companies and industry groups on the need for access to clean, safe, and appropriate toilets.

The subsequent result of the RAIB investigation has not yet been published but there have long been concerns that the Class 313 stock has no toilets, and the West Worthing shuttle timetable does not allow drivers enough time to use a toilet between services.

'There had been previous complaints regarding drivers discarding bottles full of urine on the track at West Worthing and threats of disciplinary action for those caught doing so,' says Assistant General Secretary Simon Weller. 'We believe the driver who was hit had gone down to track level, in the dark, to urinate.'

The Office of Rail and Road has, separately, issued a damning improvement notice to the operator, GTR Thameslink: 'They have failed to provide adequate welfare facilities and arrangements for drivers and conductors operating Class 313 trains between Brighton station and West Worthing station. This includes toilets and the adequate time to access them.

'Therefore, as an employer, they have failed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the welfare of their employees whilst they are at work.'