Rail worker survives being hit by a train in Cheshunt (30 March 2010)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

A Network Rail worker has survived being struck by a train in Hertfordshire.
The man was working on the track when he was hit at Cheshunt railway station, a British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) spokeswoman said.
He has been taken to hospital and the incident is being treated as "unexplained", she added.
The Stansted Express service and trains running from London Liverpool Street to Cambridge are facing delays of an hour.
The train involved was the 1103 Stansted to London Liverpool Street service.
In a statement BTP said: "The Rail Accident Investigation Branch and Office of Rail Regulation have been informed and BTP officers are currently working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident."

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) website:

The RAIB is carrying out an investigation into an accident involving a track worker who was working at Cheshunt Junction, Hertfordshire. The accident occurred at about 11:44 hrs on 30 March 2010 when the track worker, one of a gang of eight people working on track maintenance, was struck by the 11:03 train from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street. This train, formed of a class 317 electric multiple unit, operated by National Express East Anglia, had just left Cheshunt station and was crossing from the Up Main Line to the Up Southbury Line at Cheshunt Junction.  The track worker was seriously injured.
The RAIB's preliminary examination has identified no evidence that the condition of the train or the signalling system contributed to the accident.

The RAIB^s investigation is independent of any investigations by the safety authority.

The RAIB will publish a report, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of its investigation. This report will be available on the RAIB website.

[Chris from Nailsea]

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch)) has released its report into a track worker being struck by a train at Cheshunt Junction on 30 March 2010. The RAIB has made two recommendations.

Summary

At 11:44 hrs on 30 March 2010 train 2B13, a passenger service running from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street, travelling at about 30 mph (48 km/h), struck a member of railway staff at Cheshunt Junction in Hertfordshire.  The person who was struck was one of a team of eight people carrying out maintenance work on the track, and he was seriously injured.  There was no damage to the train or infrastructure. 

The investigation has identified that the track worker who was struck did not move to a position of safety and remained in the path of the train as it passed through the junction.  The track worker had not expected the train to follow the route which took it onto the line on which he was working. 

No satisfactory safe system of work had been established, and staff did not always move to a position of safety when the lookout warned that trains were approaching.

The RAIB has made two recommendations to Network Rail relating to reducing the risk of working at junctions, and the behaviour of staff working at locations with extended sighting of approaching trains.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Construction Enquirer:

Network Rail fined ^100k after train hits track worker

Network Rail has been fined ^100,000 and ordered to pay costs of ^25,000 after a track maintenance worker was hit by a train.

Terence Wray was repairing a fault on the track at Cheshunt Junction in Hertfordshire in March 2010. In order to let an approaching train pass, Wray moved to what he believed was a position of safety on the track. But the train diverted to the line on which he was sheltered and struck him, causing serious injuries.

St Albans Crown Court heard that an extensive Office of Rail Regulation investigation found the work at Cheshunt Junction had not been properly managed. The court heard evidence that the work was inadequately planned by unqualified personnel and, despite safer methods being available, was scheduled to be carried out while trains continued to run.

Tom Wake, ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)^s Deputy Director Railway Safety, said: ^The safety of track workers, and all those working on Britain^s railways, is a top priority for ORR. Where maintenance work takes place it should be planned, well managed and not place workers in unnecessary danger.

^In this case, Network Rail^s management and planning for maintenance of the track at Cheshunt Junction, Hertfordshire was not good enough. The company^s failures caused the entirely avoidable and life-changing injuries for its employee Terence Wray.

^Since the incident Network Rail has reduced the number of works taking place on tracks whilst trains continued to run, further protecting the safety of its employees.

^The regulator will continue to monitor the company^s management of rail maintenance and we will always step in when required to protect those working on, and using, the railway.^