Accident investigators stated that one of the trains involved in Salisbury rail crashes was almost certain to be affected by adhesion between the tracks and wheels. This meant that it was unable stop at a red light.
According to the Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB), low adhesion can result from ‘contaminants’ on a line like leaves, moisture and oil. This is particularly common in autumn. It can affect a train’s ability to stop.
Andrew Hall, deputy chief inspector of RAIL Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), stated that they were working closely with partners and that the investigation was “progressing well”.
After their train ‘jolted’ in the tunnel, passengers on a Great Western Railways service were forced to get out of their dark carriages.
According to Mr Hall, so far, their investigations had revealed that a second train had applied brakes but was unable stop and crashed into the GWR train.
He said, “From the initial evidence we’ve collected, we know the Great Western train was being stopped at the Salisbury tunnel junction.
“At this junction trains coming from Eastleigh merge into trains coming from Basingstoke. Therefore, the South Western service from Basingstoke had to stop at this signal.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t stop and struck the side rail of the Great Western train at an angle so that both trains derailed and ran side by side into the tunnel just beyond Junction.
‘Initial evidence shows that the South Western train driver applied braking as it approached the junction. The red signal was activated, but the train could not stop before it passed the signal.
Investigators on the scene of a train crash near the Fisherton Tunnel in Andover, Salisbury, Wiltshire
The South West Railway train (left), which was partially derail in a tunnel near Salisbury station, is seen with its cab badly damaged after it crashed into the back of the GWR service.
“This evidence suggests that wheelslide was the most likely cause. This is almost certainly due to low adhesion between wheels and track. We will continue to investigate this area.
“In consultation with other parties we continue to work closely with railway recovery engineers to ensure that this site is returned in the shortest possible time. We will begin releasing portions of the site back into Network Rail later today.
Fivety people were stuck on the GWR train derailment for seven minutes. Then, a South Western Railway Service from London to Honiton drove into the back of the train on Sunday evening.
Around 30 passengers attended a casualty centre set up in a nearby church, with 13 taken to hospital by ambulance with minor injuries. Miraculously, nobody was killed. However, one of the train drivers was left with ‘life-changing injuries’, the British Transport Police said.
Investigators are currently trying to determine if a signal problem caused the catastrophic collision.
Mr. Thrower spoke to BBC Breakfast from his Dorset home. He described how he was ‘waiting’ to pull into Salisbury when he was suddenly thrown onto the floor by the locomotives. He called the incident extremely frightening’.
He said, “The next thing that I know, there’s just an all-consuming noise, and I’m being thrown about in the joiner wagon.” Worst of all, when I turn around to look behind me, there’s a huge explosion of sparks and fire outside. The next thing I know, I’m in the dark on my floor, wondering what happened. It was extremely frightening at that moment.
He said that there was a spirit that encouraged ‘coming together’ during the crash. Dan Walker asked him: ‘Even though it was terrible, everyone was doing the first thing they could to make sure their fellow man was okay and making sure everyone else is fine. And if anyone was hurt, they were getting all the help they could.
It is believed that the SWR train should not have stopped but instead drove into the other train. There are several possibilities. These include human error, a red signal malfunction, brake failure, or wet weather that caused the train to skid. This section of the track has a speed limit of 20 mph.
Near Salisbury, emergency services personnel gathered near the scene where two trains collided.
Cameron Thrower was one 17 people who were hurt when two trains collided in the tunnel near Salisbury on Sunday at 6.45pm
British Transport Police’s DCI Paul Langley stated that this was a frightening experience for all the involved. Our thoughts are with their families. Specialist officers and detectives remain at the scene in Salisbury and are working closely with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and the Office of Rail and Road, to determine exactly how the trains collided.
Initial reports suggested that one train could have stopped in the tunnel due to falling masonry or Earth. However, Mr Langley said that there was no evidence to suggest that the train hit an object or that there were any delays between the trains colliding and the other derailing.
A Downing Street spokesperson said that the Prime Minister’s thoughts are with those who were affected.
Yesterday, passengers at Salisbury station were presented with departures and arrivals screens that showed almost all cancelled trains. Last night, Network Rail, GWR, and SWR jointly stated that passengers should expect chaos over the next few days.
A spokesperson for RAIB stated that they have five inspectors on-site as well support staff. They have already begun to examine the train, tracks and infrastructure as well as collecting electronic evidence.
Passengers on a Great Western Railways train from Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads were thrown about their dark carriages after the train came to an abrupt halt in the tunnel. The train was sent off the tracks as it entered the underpass, which is 430 yards long. The train was derailed for seven minutes, leaving around 50 people stranded. A South Western Railway service from London and Honiton with 50 additional people aboard then plowed into the station train at 6.45pm.
This morning’s scene was a collision of two trains in Fisherton Tunnel. More than a dozen people were taken to hospital, but none were seriously injured.
The SWR service is referred to as “Train 2” and has carriages that lean at 45 degrees.
Passengers on the first train described feeling an immediate jolt and bump before the train stopped. Early reports from the aftermath of yesterday’s storms indicated that the first train was derail after hitting debris on the track. One passenger said that the train may have been thrown off the track by hitting a part of a tree or a piece from the tunnel.
A three-week old baby was one of those who were rescued. Corinna Anderson (51), from Derby, said to The Times that she was on the SWR train and saw a fireman holding the baby in his arms as he climbed off.
Callum Stedman, 16 years old, said that passengers believed it was a terrorist attack and that they would die as smoke filled the carriages. He said to The Sun that he felt a jolt, and that everything went black. We all landed on one another and the train was at 45 degrees to its side. People’s phones started to light up and we began to look around. You see people with broken noses, black eyes, and blood dripping.
It was scary. The worst part was the smoke. You thought it would catch fire and you’d die.
He said, “Outside the door, there was a huge fireball. Everyone panicked. There were many people crying, and some were even throwing their bodies out of the windows.
Lucy Gregory explained to the BBC that the train felt a little juddery as it pulled into Salisbury station. I had just stood up, put on my coat and had my phone in my pocket. Then there was a huge impact that sent me across the table. I fell under another table when the table fell off the wall. They smashed the windows, and we were able to get out of the window. It was very scary.
BTP however stated that they have not yet discovered evidence of this. This raises serious concerns about the cause of the crash and how and why the GWR train was still stationary at the time.
MailOnline was also informed by a senior railway engineer that signals failed to turn red when they were turned on. This allowed the second high speed inter-city SWR train to crash into the train, leaving at least 17 injured.
The train driver, which was full of teenagers and families returning home from half term, was trapped in the cab. Other passengers on board were also injured and had to be rescued. Amazingly, no one was injured.
One teenager on the second train travelling from London to Devon grabbed his phone and filmed inside one carriage that was tipping over and said: ‘F*** me. We are literally on your side’, before zooming in and saying: “That guy’s head is mashed.”
Another survivor stated: “It’s really scary. People started to record videos saying “mum, dad, I love YOU” because they were afraid they would die.”
The train passengers described the impact as a “bomb going off” and a loud bang. There was also flying glass, sparks, and metal grinding metal hitting the carriages. Paramedics and firefighters saved around 120 people, including a 3-week-old baby.
Abigail Taylor was on board the first train. She stated that it was in tunnel for approximately five minutes before being struck by the second train.
She said, “We stopped in the tunnel, and then the train just jostled several times. It was clear that something was wrong. It was almost like turbulence aboard a plane, but worse. People claimed that a tree had fallen and caused us to derail. The signals were also affected, which is why we were hit by another train. I don’t know if this was true or not. It was a miracle that nobody was killed’.
Downing Street stated that the Prime Minister was thinking of those who were injured in the Salisbury train accident, but that the Government was investing in order to ensure that the railway network remains ‘one the most secure in the world.
A spokesperson for No 10 said that the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), had been deployed to the scene and were conducting forensic investigations. The Prime Minister’s thoughts are with all those who were affected.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further at the moment while the RAIB are investigating what happened.”
The spokesman added: ‘I think it’s important that we let the RAIB investigate this thoroughly, but more generally in terms of safety standards on the network it’s obviously a top priority for this Government, which is why we have allocated £40 billion worth of spending to ensure that the railways continue to be one of the safest in the world.’
Morgan Harris, Royal Navy Sailor, was returning from London Waterloo to Yeovil. He said that he was thrown from the seat by the impact of the large crash. Able Seaman, 20, said that everything was going well until suddenly there was a loud bang and the lights went out. There were sparks and flames emanating from the tracks where we had been, and there was a lot ash coming out of the outside. Our train was on its sides… I was thrown to the side and banged against my table.
Dimitri Popa, a Romanian passenger, was on the train from London Sherborne when the terrible crash occurred.
The 17-year old replied, “It all happened very fast… I was just sitting in my first carriage when there was a massive crash. The flames lit up and I was terrified. The carriage was 45 degrees to my right. We didn’t know anything or where we were… we were all so stunned.
A young woman, who lives in Fisherton Tunnel, told of her horror at the sight of 15-year-old girls with broken bones. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated that she saw two girls sitting across the bridge. They were seen from one of my bedroom windows.
They were covered in silver blankets and all the other necessities. They were sitting on the bank next to our house, and one of them looked like she had fractured her foot. “The other girl was so scared and shocked that she was actually breathing into a bag.
“They were only teenagers…” They were probably around 15 years of age, I would think. The train was full of young people. “We also saw people bringing large equipment to open the train’s metal because there were so many people trapped inside.
MailOnline was granted anonymity by a senior Network Rail engineer who claimed that if the GWR train collided or became stuck with an object, there should be an automatic obstruction warning’ to stop other trains from crossing that mile-long stretch.
Network Rail has discovered a serious flaw in its signalling system. They stated that the system states that the line is unsafe for another train because of an obstruction. It should have stopped it immediately. It should have set all signals to red automatically. If the driver did not see the signal, it should have made the train stop.
The whistleblower stated that he had realized for many years that there have been many failures within the company. [Network Rail]They said that they had feared an incident such as this would occur ‘for the past two year’.
17 people were injured including one of the drivers, who was cut free having suffered a suspected broken ankle. A small number of people were taken into hospital. The ‘walking injured’ were treated at a nearby Church where they received blankets, food and first aid.
Officials called it a “critical” incident while observers claimed that it was a miracle that nobody was killed.
MailOnline has been informed that an investigation into a major rail accident is underway. Experts will examine the reasons signals that should be turned red to warn of approaching trains but did not, and MailOnline was told. It is possible that signalling in the area was also disrupted by the derailed train.
Witnesses claimed that they heard a sound like a bomb going off during the crash, which was one the most serious in recent times on the UK rail network. One passenger on board described her terror at being thrown around by the crashing train.
Angela Mattingly, a passenger on the SWR train, stated that everything went black and there were flashes of red and everything.
“There was a lot more jostling, possessions were being thrown around, and I believe a few people went forward to hit their heads. You don’t know what’s happening for a few seconds. People started to panic, but nobody was seriously hurt.
Lucy Gregory explained to the BBC that the train felt a little juddery as it pulled into Salisbury station. I had just stood up, put on my coat and put my phone in my pocket. Then there was a huge impact that sent me across the table. I ended up under another table after the table fell off of the wall. They smashed the windows, and we were able to get out of the window. It was very scary.
Yesterday night, a British Transport Police officer stated that the driver and a few others were taken to hospital.
Sky News’ Inspector Mullah Hoque stated that they would be on the scene all night to determine what happened.
He said that while most of these people are still walking wounded, a small number (including the driver) have been taken to hospital and their injuries are being evaluated.
Andy Cole, assistant chief fire officer for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue service, said they had rescued approximately 100 people from the train carriages and confirmed there had been no fatalities.
Tamar Vellacott stated that she was walking with her children, mother, and partner from Jewell Close, Bishopdown. They were about a kilometre away from the scene.
“It was a strange noise that we have never heard before… My young ones panicked thinking it was a bomb, and we suggested maybe a lorry had crashed onto the London Road and not panic,” the 25-year old said.
“There was no screeching or brakes, just a long rumbling sound that sounded like thunder hitting the railway lines.
Left: A man injured on a train caught in the horror smash in Salisbury last evening (left). People were found lying on the floor of one carriage (right), with suspected fractures and broken noses. Some even called their loved ones, fearing that they would die.
Images taken on board the derail SWR train after the collision showed it at a 45 degree angle in the tunnel.
After the collision at 6.45pm yesterday, emergency crews were called to the scene at Fisherton Tunnel in Salisbury. After colliding with an stopped GWR service, the SWR train between London and Devon can be seen from an angle.
The entrance to Fisherton Tunnel is near Salisbury. After most of the train entered the tunnel on track that runs from the left of the image, the rear carriage was destroyed by a GWR train. It was going from Portsmouth to Bristol. After approaching the tunnel via the track that runs underneath the road, the SWR train collided with it. The GWR train’s rear was shoved into the tunnel wall at the entrance. Meanwhile, the SWR train was more severely derail and crossed to the tunnel’s right-side at a 45 degree angle.
The drama unfolded at Fisherton Tunnel. This is a major junction that joins two lines as they approach Salisbury, from the south and the east.
Firstly the 17:08 Great Western Rail service from Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads, which entered the junction from the south, hit an object the tunnel – possibly material that fell from the tunnel roof, sources said – and the rear carriage derailed. Bad weather caused delays across the rail network and delayed the train’s arrival in Salisbury at 6 :28pm.
Seven minutes later, the 17:20 South West Rail train that ran from London Waterloo in England to Honiton in Devon arrived at the junction. It was due to arrive in Salisbury around 6.47pm. For some reason signals had not alerted the driver of the obstruction – or had failed to stop his train if he missed the red lights.
The SWR train crashed into the GWR service station in the tunnel. It then derailed itself and skidded along its inside at 45 degrees, apparently being held up somewhat by the tunnel wall. Its driver was trapped inside his mangled cab, and emergency workers had to free him. Only the last carriage was able to stand upright.
Tamar Vellacott stated to reporters that she was walking along with her children about half a mile from the crash scene when she heard the crash.
The 25-year-old said, “It was an unusual sound, my children panicked thinking it was bombs.”
“There was no screeching or brakes sound, just a long rumbling sound similar to thunder. We were a bit scared, but we decided to get into our car and drive home. We were passed by three police cars at high speed.
The engineer said that the incident could not possibly have been avoided if an oncoming train was too close the GWR. However this could not have happened given the seven-minute warning.
“There was a major flaw in the signalling system at Network Rail.”
The emergency services stated that they would remain on the scene of the collision throughout the night, and that it would take days before services can resume.
There were several ambulances on the scene. The majority of the injured were described as “walking wounded”, however, a small number, including one driver, were taken to hospital for medical checks.
Police set up roadblocks around the scene of the crash. Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, said that investigations into the crash would take place to prevent other’serious incidents’ in the future.
Locals living around a mile from the train tracks described hearing a loud bang as if a bomb went off when the trains collided.
Peter Golden, 52, of Laverstock in Wiltshire said that there is a deep cut leading to a tunnel from the east on the approach to Salisbury Station. It looks like the collision is present.
“It sounded almost like something was collapsing, the sound of things collapsing into each other. It was windy and I thought it was wind blowing something heavy. It wasn’t until the helicopter arrived on the station over the tunnel, that I realized what I had just heard. About 30-40 minutes after the collision, the first helicopter arrived at station and began hovering.
“On station” means that it arrives at a station and hovers or circles around – to aid with lightning and eyesight. London Road was filled with emergency vehicles and sirens.
“Emergency vehicles were coming out of the west and east – presumably Andover, as well as Salisbury. Friends close to me have told me that passengers were escorted up to the ambulances at London Road. Walking is good.
The Rail Accident Investigations Branch and the Office for Rail and Road are investigating the incident.
Martin Frobisher is Network Rail’s group safety and engineering director, technical author. He said that he doesn’t know what exactly happened in the Salisbury train crash on Sunday evening.
He said that he was relieved that no one was seriously hurt, but that the passengers must have had a frightening experience and that we are very sorry.
“We are starting now a very thorough and forensic investigation into the incident. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is present on the scene and they do a great job. This will help us learn from it, which is why these events are very rare. We follow it up very carefully and make sure we do everything we can to prevent them in the future.
Frobisher stated it is too early to speculate, and added that there is a lot of contradictory data in the early stages.
Claire Mann, South Western Railway’s managing director, stated that it was too early to speculate about a collision between two trains near Salisbury.
Good Morning Britain was informed by her: “Our focus right now is with customers and colleagues who have been affected by this, and obviously working with emergency services to understand exactly how it happened.
“Speculation is not appropriate at the moment. We need to wait for the investigation’s course before we can find out what actually happened.
“But I would like you to say a big THANK YOU to the emergency services, who were very prompt in responding last night and moved people from the train quite quickly.
Tonight, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch announced that inspectors had been sent to the scene of a collision for a preliminary inspection
Andy Cole (left) from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue speaks to the media near the scene of a crash involving two trains near the Fisherton Tunnel between Andover and Salisbury in Wiltshire