Govia Thameslink King's Cross rail crash: Five hurt (17 September 2015)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

Govia Thameslink King's Cross rail crash: Five hurt


The Govia Thameslink service from Cambridge hit the buffers when it reached its destination at King's Cross

Five people were hurt when a train hit the buffers as it came into London's King's Cross.

The accident on platform 11 involved the 10:55 BST Govia Thameslink service from Cambridge.

Passenger Matthew Blakemore was travelling in the front carriage and said there was a "huge bang" and "everyone was thrown around".

Ambulance crews treated five people for minor injuries and two people were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Network Rail said in a statement the train was involved in a "low-speed collision with the buffer stops" at about 12:18.

Mr Blakemore, 27, was travelling from Hatfield to London for a business meeting and said: "Everyone was standing up preparing to get off. It all seemed fine, the train was slowing down as it came into the station but it didn't stop. At the time we heard a big bang and all of us were panicking. We didn't know what it was, we thought it might be terrorism, we just didn't know. A few people were standing in the aisle and one girl was thrown all the way down the carriage, she hurt her shoulder quite badly. The doors opened after about a minute but the roof by the doors of the train had come down in the impact. I was fine, just a bit shocked."

A spokesman for Govia Thameslink said: "We worked with paramedics to help those who were injured and apologise to those affected by the incident. We will cooperate fully with any investigation."

Two other Great Northern rail services have been cancelled as a result of the crash and two services will run with fewer carriages than usual, he said.

Platform 11 has been closed while investigations are carried out. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been informed.

[ChrisB]

Second one in quick succession. Wasn't there another in the Cambridge area recently?

[Oxonhutch]

Are these units fitted with a Westinghouse brake?

[eightf48544]

It will be the Electro Pneumatic (EP) version where by the brakes are activated on every coach by an electrical signal. As opposed to straight Westinghouse where you have to wait for the drop in air pressure to promulgate down the train as on loco hauled air braked trains.

I thought the TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) overspeed grids are supposed to prevent trains entering a deadend too fast.



(Edit: Typo)

[Oxonhutch]

But if the EP fails, I would assume it reverts to straight Westinghouse where you only get two or three applications before you lose air. I believe that on the Undergound on EP fitted stock, the driver was expected to do a straight Westinghouse stop once per shift to keep his or her hand in. Just a thought.

[IndustryInsider]

I thought the TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) overspeed grids are supposed to prevent trains entering a deadend too fast.

They are usually set at around 10mph, but a collision with the buffers at less than 10mph could easily be enough to cause the minor injuries described.  I speak from experience having been involved in a similar incident myself in Norway.

[JayMac]

I've read elsewhere, uncorroborated, that the train was below 10mph over the TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) grid, so no activation.

Also, again uncorroborated, it was a trainee driver under instruction.

[Oxonhutch]

I speak from experience having been involved in a similar incident myself in Norway.

In Norway hey?  Is that what they call it in the industry? 

[chrisr_75]

I believe that on the Undergound on EP fitted stock, the driver was expected to do a straight Westinghouse stop once per shift to keep his or her hand in. Just a thought.

My understanding is that where a Westinghouse brake is fitted on LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd) (not much stock left now that has it!), the driver must use this to bring the train to a halt at the station prior to the terminus, to ensure that it is working correctly, presumably in order that the train can be brought safely to a stop at the terminus in the event of a power or other failure in the EP system.

Edit - I've also read on an LUL forum that some drivers used to prefer to use the Westinghouse brake as a matter of routine, but as mentioned, stock fitted with such is becoming rather rarer these days (I think only the 72/73 tube stock on Bakerloo & Piccadilly lines is the only variant remaining, with the exception of any engineering vehicles).

[eightf48544]

I used to travel with an ex LT tube driver (Northern Line) he said they always did their Westinghouse stop at Golders Green as it was the longest platform.

The masters of the Westinghouse brake were the 4 SUB drivers on the South Western and Central suburban lines.

[TonyK]

They are usually set at around 10mph, but a collision with the buffers at less than 10mph could easily be enough to cause the minor injuries described.  I speak from experience having been involved in a similar incident myself in Norway.

At times such as these, the layman learns the difference between speed and momentum.

[Tim]

I wonder if injuries and damage would have been mitigated had KX been equipped with a modern buffer stop rather than one made out of scrap rail?

[ChrisB]

Or even if pax had remained seated until the train came to a stop?

Pax are their own worst enemies quite often

[Brucey]

Or even if pax had remained seated until the train came to a stop?

Pax are their own worst enemies quite often

Assuming there are enough seats for every passenger...

[grahame]

Or even if pax had remained seated until the train came to a stop?

As you always do?