RAIB investigate derailment of passenger train by ice at Calderdale - 28/12/2010

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

Investigation into the derailment of a passenger train in Summit Tunnel, Calderdale, on 28 December 2010

The RAIB is carrying out an investigation into the derailment of train 1P02, the 00:38 hrs First TransPennine Express passenger service from Manchester Airport to York, in the early hours of 28 December 2010.

The accident occurred at about 01:19 hrs when the train, formed by a three car Class 185 Diesel Multiple Unit, was passing underneath a ventilation shaft about 740 m from the north portal of Summit tunnel.  The train was travelling at 70 mph (113 km/h) when it struck a large body of ice which, after impact, measured about 2m in height and 8m in length.  All wheels of the front bogie were derailed causing the front driving cab of the train to strike the tunnel wall.

Preliminary examination of the scene has revealed that the ice had fallen onto the track from the ventilation shaft (shaft 10) that rises vertically from an orifice in the crown of tunnel to the moorland above.  There was evidence of an extensive build up of ice on the walls of this shaft. There was also significant ice debris underneath the adjacent shaft (shaft 11).

During the immediate aftermath of the derailment there were further falls of ice onto the roof of the derailed train causing alarm to the occupants.  By 04:40 hrs all 45 passengers and staff had been detrained and led out of the tunnel by the emergency services.  No injuries have been reported.  The train suffered damage to a cab windscreen, a coupler, bodywork and under-frame.

The RAIB is aware of a number of incidents involving ice in tunnels that have occurred during the severe weather in January, February and December of 2010, and the subsequent thaws.

The RAIB^s investigation will include a review of Network Rail^s arrangements for the identification of ice related hazards in tunnels and the steps taken to mitigate the consequent risk.

The RAIB^s investigation is independent of any investigations by the British Transport Police and 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.

[IndustryInsider]

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

The RAIB is aware of a number of incidents involving ice in tunnels that have occurred during the severe weather in January, February and December of 2010, and the subsequent thaws.

Yes, there was damage to a train as it went through Camden Tunnel on our patch.  Some of the ice that built up in there was very impressive, minor leaks throughout the tunnel forming large block of ice hanging all the way down the side of the tunnel lining, so well over ten feet high and several feet thick in places - and that's a tunnel without any ventilation shafts as far as I know.

[willc]

Yes, no ventilation shafts, but since it is bored through porous Cotswold limestone, lots of water does get in, as was clear enough when I walked through last summer, hence the importance of renewing the drains. In steam days the drains from the tunnel ran all the way down to Honeybourne to fill the water tank that supplied the water columns at the station and the locomotive sidings. 

[Worcester_Passenger]

Yes, no ventilation shafts, but since it is bored through porous Cotswold limestone, lots of water does get in, as was clear enough when I walked through last summer, hence the importance of renewing the drains. In steam days the drains from the tunnel ran all the way down to Honeybourne to fill the water tank that supplied the water columns at the station and the locomotive sidings. 

Are you sure about that? Water that has come through limestone would be very hard and would need serious softening before being used in steam engine boilers.

[willc]

Yes.

Dealing with limescale, etc, is why water treatment chemicals are used in boiler water and regular boiler washouts must be carried out on steam locos.

[IndustryInsider]

Even more impressive than Campden Tunnel!

http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2011/01/reminder-of-how-cold-it-was.html

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch):

Investigation into the derailment of a passenger train in Summit Tunnel, Calderdale, on 28 December 2010

Updated 31 May 2011

The RAIB is carrying out an investigation into the derailment of train 1P02, the 00:38 hrs First TransPennine Express passenger service from Manchester Airport to York, in the early hours of 28 December 2010.

The accident occurred at about 01:19 hrs when the train, formed by a three car Class 185 Diesel Multiple Unit, was passing underneath a ventilation shaft about 740m from the north portal of Summit tunnel.  The train was travelling at 57mph (92 km/h) when it struck a large body of ice which, after impact, measured about 2m in height and 8m in length.  All wheels of the front bogie were derailed causing the front driving cab of the train to strike the tunnel wall.

Preliminary examination of the scene has revealed that the ice had fallen onto the track from the ventilation shaft (shaft 10) that rises vertically from an orifice in the crown of the tunnel to the moorland above.  There was evidence of an extensive build up of ice on the walls of this shaft. There was also significant ice debris underneath the adjacent shaft (shaft 11).



During the immediate aftermath of the derailment there were further falls of ice onto the roof of the derailed train causing alarm to the occupants. By 04:40 hrs all 45 passengers and staff had been detrained and led out of the tunnel by the emergency services. No injuries have been reported. The train suffered damage to a cab windscreen, a coupler, bodywork and under-frame.

The RAIB is aware of a number of incidents involving ice in tunnels that have occurred during the severe weather in January, February and December of 2010, and the subsequent thaws.

The RAIB^s investigation has included a review of Network Rail^s arrangements for the identification of ice related hazards in tunnels and the steps taken to mitigate the consequent risk.

The RAIB^s investigation is independent of any investigations by the British Transport Police and 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 RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) have now published their full report, available on their website:

Derailment in Summit tunnel, near Todmorden, West Yorkshire

Summary:

In the early hours of 28 December 2010, a passenger train was travelling from Manchester to Leeds when it struck a large amount of ice that had fallen onto the tracks from a ventilation shaft in Summit tunnel.  All wheels of the front bogie were derailed to the left in the direction of travel causing the front driving cab of the train to strike the tunnel wall.  The train remained upright and once it had stopped, the train crew took action to protect the train and raise the alarm.  About three hours later, the passengers and train crew had been led out of the tunnel by the emergency services.  No injuries were reported, while the train suffered damage to its cab windscreen, a coupler, bodywork and underframe.  There was minor damage to the track.

The ice formed as water, seeping through the lining of a ventilation shaft, froze during a long period of freezing temperatures.  This ice fell onto the track after a thaw which started on 27 December 2010.  The train, which was the first to pass through the tunnel in over three days due to the Christmas holiday period, then collided with it.  A combination of factors led to this accident:
- the risk of ice, particularly ice falls onto the track, was not identified before the train service resumed so the train was allowed to enter Summit tunnel while running at its maximum permitted speed; and
- the routine maintenance regime did not identify excessive ice in the tunnel and no additional inspections were carried out.

The RAIB has made five recommendations, all directed to Network Rail.  The first recommendation relates to how water in Summit tunnel is managed.  The second is about identifying those structures which are at risk from extreme weather and then checking they are safe to use after periods when no trains have been running.  The third calls for the potential hazards due to extreme weather and thaw conditions to be taken into account in Network Rail^s weather management processes.  The fourth calls for training and information to be given to staff who need to carry out the additional inspection of structures that are at risk in extreme cold weather.  The fifth relates to the management of safety related information (and details of actions taken) that is passed from Network Rail^s buildings and civils ^ asset management function to other parts of the company.

[ellendune]

As a drainage engineer the last time I had anything to do with summit tunnel ther was no risk of any ice even if it was in the middle of December! It was 1984 and they had some additional heating!

[inspector_blakey]

An impressive conflagration that - started 20 Dec 1984, firefighters on site until 5 Jan 1985, last vehicle removed 1 March and tunnel not reopened to traffic until 19 August. Apparently though there was remarkably little damage to the structure of the tunnel, despite several hundred tons of petroleum having gone up in the blaze.

Wikipedia article (also includes a link to the accident report) here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_Tunnel_fire

[ellendune]

Unable to get close enough to safely fight the fire directly, the fire brigades forced foam into ventilation shafts far from the fire. This created blockages that starved the fire of oxygen. By mid-afternoon the next day the inferno was no longer burning, though the fire was by no means knocked down. Petrol continued to leak from the derailed wagons through the tunnel drainage and ballast and the vapour sporadically re-ignited when it came into contact with the hot tunnel lining. It also became apparent that petrol vapour had leaked into the nearby river Roch, possibly creating explosive atmospheres in the nearby towns of Summit and Todmorden, which were partially evacuated in response.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_Tunnel_fire

The above quote seems to suggest that the petrol was not found in the river until the next afternoon. We found it in the river before dusk the first day and took action to stop the vapour from entering the sewer system. I am not aware that any part of Summit was evacuated for this reason. The village is mostly somewhat higher than the river. They were more in danger from the flames and debris coming from the shafts.

Since the Roch flows only west from the tunnel (the name Summit is a bit of clue) Todmorden on the Yorkshire side could not have been affected though I have no knowledge about what might have been flowing into the Calder.