Collision between Azuma and HST at Neville Hill, Leeds, 13/11/2019

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Late yesterday evening a LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER) (800109) and a LNER HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) (43300) were involved in a moderately low speed collision outside Neville Hill Depot in Leeds. Several carriages of the Azuma were derailed in the collision. Neither train was in passenger service.

The location, I'm led to believe, is a stretch of track called the Down Hull Goods Loop which gives access to and from the depot. There is, I believe, permissive working on this stretch of line. The speed limit is 15mph.


https://twitter.com/stuartthomas/status/1194763023224918016?s=20

[SandTEngineer]

I think the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) cab came off better than the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) one although the latter is mostly 'for show' fibreglass......

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1295041497248086?view=permalink&id=2813644855387735

[TonyK]

It's a bit of a mess for 15 mph.

[Thatcham Crossing]

It's a bit of a mess for 15 mph.

If they were both doing 15, closing speed would have been 30 though.

[JayMac]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) was, I believe, stationary.

[Red Squirrel]

It's a bit of a mess for 15 mph.

If they were both doing 15, closing speed would have been 30 though.

Well, yes, but that's the same as hitting a wall at 15 mph. 'Closing speeds' have more appeal to journalists than to physicists...

[IndustryInsider]

It's a bit of a mess for 15 mph.

I'm quite relieved there was a bit of a mess.  Better a mess at the front where the energy of a collision is designed to be absorbed, than that energy being felt further back where passengers might be sat.

[TonyK]

I'm quite relieved there was a bit of a mess.  Better a mess at the front where the energy of a collision is designed to be absorbed, than that energy being felt further back where passengers might be sat.

I agree, but am slightly alarmed by the derailment. I am, however, no expert.

[Western Pathfinder]

That Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER) is going to be out of action for quite some time, as for the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) it's time to say goodbye for good.

[paul7575]

I'm quite relieved there was a bit of a mess.  Better a mess at the front where the energy of a collision is designed to be absorbed, than that energy being felt further back where passengers might be sat.

I agree, but am slightly alarmed by the derailment. I am, however, no expert.

The 800 was still “snaking” across a couple of sets of points at the point of derailment.  I think the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) was basically on almost straight track.  I expect that affected the derailment?

[rower40]

If they were both doing 15, closing speed would have been 30 though.

Even on permissive-working stretches of track, you can't have trains travelling in opposite directions at the same time.  You can have train 1 moving, and approaching train 2, but train 2 has to be stationary.  If "Huddersfield Control" is implemented, train 2 mustn't have a movement authority AWAY from train 1 either.

The Down Hull Goods loop is used for stacking up trains to await their acceptance into Neville Hill depot.  It's only signalled for down-direction movements.  But from that picture, I would suggest that the coming-together occurred on the Neville Hill Depot Arrival line.  (The points visible next to the Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER)'s 6th coach are where the Down Hull Goods Loop rejoins the Down Hull Main for trains not going into Neville Hill depot).  The track adjacent to the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) and Azuma is a depot Shunt Neck.

[Bmblbzzz]

We can see the Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER)'s rear lights in the broken fibreglass, so it seems as if the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) ran into the back of the Azuma.

[rower40]

We can see the Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER)'s rear lights in the broken fibreglass, so it seems as if the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) ran into the back of the Azuma.

After an accident, it's standard practice to switch on every red light available.  So I wouldn't rely on that to determine direction.

[IndustryInsider]

We can see the Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER)'s rear lights in the broken fibreglass, so it seems as if the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) ran into the back of the Azuma.

After an accident, it's standard practice to switch on every red light available.  So I wouldn't rely on that to determine direction.

Also, on these Hitachi trains the Tail Lights are illuminated automatically whenever the driver keys out of the train - unless coupled, or overridden by the Emergency Headlight Switch.

[RobT]

Information posted elsewhere suggests both trains entered the depot line from the Leeds direction, first the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) as 5D24, followed by the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) as 5D29.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y31299/2019-11-13/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y31303/2019-11-13/detailed