Monday Morning - Fatality - Totnes Area

[whole diary]

[Super Guard]

The week did not get off to a good start.

Approx 0500 this morning BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) were called to the Totnes area where a body had been found on the track, under suspicious circumstances (ie. it would appear no train was involved).

The 0546 EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) was the only service north that left Exeter before 0845 as the stock is housed at Exeter New Yard overnight.  The 0630 EXD-PAD started at Taunton using stock from a WSM-PAD service that was cancelled.

1C99 23:50 PAD-PNZ sleeper service was held at Totnes until the line was cleared and then terminated at Plymouth.  A 2 car 142 saved the day at one point running as 1A12 PGN-PAD up to EXD while the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) was bought up fast from Plymouth to takeover at EXD.  Plenty of cancellations and delays ranging from 60-90 minutes followed, with service beginning to run back to time between 0900 and 1000.

[devon_metro]

Only for it to all go downhill after a farce at Highbridge! Typical.

[Super Guard]

I missed that development... 

[devon_metro]

Have a look at Taunton after half 11, should give you an idea of the situation.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8277998.stm:

Inquiries over body near tracks
 
An investigation is under way following the discovery of a man's body near rail tracks on the London to Cornwall line in Devon.

The driver of the 2350 BST Paddington to Penzance service saw the body next to tracks at Totnes at 0525 BST and alerted British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)).

Officers carried out inquiries at the scene and closed the Cornwall to London line until 0800 BST.

BTP say the man's injuries were consistent with being hit by a train.

[Super Guard]

And also:  http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk/news/Trains-cancelled-fatality-line/article-1372512-detail/article.html

[John R]

Travelling to London yesterday on the 0813 from Nailsea saw it arrive as a Cl 142 and 143 combo. The screen said "4 coaches only, First Class at the front  ).

A quick cross platform transition at Temple Meads onto an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) saw a prompt arrival in Paddington. Under the circumstances a pretty good show by FGW^▸ (First Great Western).

[woody]

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Man-railway-line-hit-trains/article-1377302-detail/article.html
 Man hit by two trains?

[Wolvercote Wanderer]

Travelling to London yesterday on the 0813 from Nailsea saw it arrive as a Cl 142 and 143 combo. The screen said "4 coaches only, First Class at the front  ).

I was on the 08:40 EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - 15 late arriving at SWI^» (Swindon - next trains).  Not bad considering.

I saw the 143/142 combo at Nailsea heading west at speed about 10:00. Anyone get the number of the 142?

[Super Guard]

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Man-railway-line-hit-trains/article-1377302-detail/article.html
 Man hit by two trains?

The amount of negative publicity FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has had in the media you would have thought they could have found a new 'dynamic livery' HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to have as the photo 

[Chris from Nailsea]

The Western Morning News has an updated article - and a more relevant picture:

A man who died on the railway line just outside Totnes may have been run over by two separate trains more than five hours apart, say police.

British Transport Police are investigating whether an out of service train could have hit the man at around midnight on Sunday without the driver realising. His body may have then lain on the tracks near the Follaton estate at Totnes until the Paddington to Penzance sleeper train ran over him again at around 5.30am yesterday morning.

The discovery of his body closed the main Plymouth to Penzance line for more than three hours causing early morning rail chaos across the region.

Mini buses and taxis were pressed in to service by rail bosses to carry passengers between stations. But their efforts were hampered by a shortage of vehicles because many of the bus operators and cabbies were tied up with daily school runs.

The main line remained closed until around 8am, but it was another 90 minutes before the Great Western and Cross Country services were back to normal.

Yesterday British Transport Police said they were treating the death as ^unexplained^ and were still trying to sort out a formal identification. But they said the dead man^s injuries were consistent with being hit by a train. A BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) spokesman said officers were looking into the possibility the dead man may have been hit by an earlier train and were examining that train which had terminated at Plymouth at 16 minutes past midnight yesterday morning.

It was not until 5.30am any alarm was raised after the Paddington sleeper train struck the man on a three quarter of a mile stretch of line between Totnes Railway Station and Whiteley Bridge.

Yesterday British transport Police were still trying to formally identify the dead man and establish how he came to be on the track.

The South Devon coroner has been informed of the death and the man^s remains were taken to the mortuary at Torbay Hospital. Once identification has taken place, there will have to be a post mortem examination before any inquest can be opened.

The transport police spokesman confirmed the dead man^s ^injuries appear consistent with being struck by a train^ and added: ^The man^s death is being currently treated as unexplained and inquiries are ongoing.^

As the main line was closed trains had to be cancelled and commuter crowds began to build up on local railway stations. Passengers on the ^sleeper^ train were taken off at Plymouth and made the rest of their journey by coach. In Totnes mini buses and local taxis were used to shift commuters caught in the shut down.

A spokesman for Great Western said that the company had problems hiring coaches and taxis because so many were tied up on school runs. ^From 9am we tried to organise as many coaches as possible,^ she said. Although the line was reopened shortly after 8am, it was not until 9.30am that services began running normally, she explained.

Anyone with any information which may help the investigation is asked to call BTP on 0800 40 50 40, quoting incident number 28 of 280909.

[devon_metro]

Identical to the Herald Express article!

[John R]

Travelling to London yesterday on the 0813 from Nailsea saw it arrive as a Cl 142 and 143 combo. The screen said "4 coaches only, First Class at the front  ).

I was on the 08:40 EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - 15 late arriving at SWI^» (Swindon - next trains).  Not bad considering.

I saw the 143/142 combo at Nailsea heading west at speed about 10:00. Anyone get the number of the 142?

Sorry. I was too busy trying to squeeze on!

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the British Transport Police press release:

APPEAL FOR INFORMATION AFTER MAN HIT BY TRAIN - TOTNES

British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) can today confirm that a man found dead on the railway line outside Totnes rail station yesterday (Monday 28 September) has been identified as Christopher Ward.

Officers are still treating the death of Mr Ward, 38, of no fixed abode, as unexplained and are now appealing for anyone who saw him in the hours leading up to the discovery of his body, or who knew where he had been living recently, to contact them.

Police were called to the railway line near Totnes station at 5.25am on Monday morning after the driver of a London Paddington to Penzance service reported hitting a body.

It remains unclear how long the body had been at the location and officers are investigating the possibility he had been hit by an earlier train.

Detective Inspector Mick Southerton, who is leading the investigation, said: ^Although from the Totnes area originally, we believe Christopher had been sofa-surfing at a number of friends^ addresses recently in the Totnes and Dartington areas.

^We are keen to hear from anyone who knows where he had been residing and we would also like to speak to anyone who saw Christopher at any stage during Sunday 27 September.

^Christopher was around 5ft 7in, of slim build with short, light-coloured hair and was unshaven. He was wearing a fawn-coloured Pringle-style pullover with a black diamond pattern, blue jeans and brown leather Timberland deck shoes on Sunday.^

Anyone with any information is asked to call BTP on 0800 40 50 40, quoting incident number 28 of 28/09/09.