Train operators have been given urgent safety advice after a York to London express passed over points at excessive speed.
The incident involved a train operated by Grand Central that had called at Northallerton and Thirsk on its way from Sunderland to Kings Cross via York.
It’s not the first time it has happened at the location in Peterborough, last year a LUMO train from Newcastle to London was involved in a similar incident.
Now the RAIB (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) has issued a safety warning to both train operators and Network Rail.
It said: “Suitable arrangements may not be in place to mitigate the risk of trains travelling southbound through Spital Junction at excessive speeds when signalled from the Fast line onto the Slow lines at Peterborough station.”
The RAIB report outlined the two incidents: “On 17 April 2022, the driver of a Lumo service from Newcastle to London King’s Cross did not observe and react to the junction indicator (this tells the driver they are about to change tracks) on P468 signal which showed that the train was being signalled towards the slow lines at Spital Junction.
“Believing that his train was going to stay on the Up Fast line, he accelerated the train towards the junction and passed over it at 76 mph (122 km/h) instead of the 30 mph (48 km/h) maximum permitted speed.
“On 4 May 2023, the driver of a Grand Central service from Sunderland (via York) to London King’s Cross did not observe and react to the junction indicator on P468 signal which showed that the train was being signalled towards the slow lines at Spital Junction.
“Believing that his train was to stay on the Up Fast line, he accelerated his train towards the junction and passed over it at 65 mph (105 km/h).”
The use of the slow lines at Peterborough is something that doesn’t happen on a regular basis on these specific services and drivers of fast trains can use the higher speed lines and pass quickly through the station area.
The RAIB says: “Duty holders should take immediate steps, either operationally, or by technical means, to mitigate this risk.
“Suitable arrangements may not be in place to mitigate the risk of trains travelling southbound through Spital Junction at excessive speeds when signalled from the Up Fast line onto the Up Slow lines at Peterborough station.
“Drivers who rarely experience being routed towards the slow lines when approaching Peterborough station from the north, and whose trains are not scheduled to stop at the station, may develop an expectation that their train will remain on the Up Fast line and miss some of the information provided at P468 signal when their train is being signalled onto the diverging route.
“In these circumstances the distance from which a proceed aspect on P468 signal can be seen by approaching trains, and the distance from the signal to the junction, is sufficient to result in some trains being able to accelerate to speeds which could lead to derailment”
Read the report here
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