Questions stay unanswered concerning the horrific Bedford train crash that left one particular person lifeless and 100 injured, as investigators proceed to work to determine the reason for the crash.
One prepare struck the rear of one other on the identical line shortly after 5pm.
The scene after two East Midlands Railway trains have been concerned in a collision
PA Wire
Twenty-eight folks stay in hospital, together with 9 in a crucial situation. One particular person — the motive force of one of many trains — sadly died following the crash.
He has since been named as 60-year-old Shaun Burton. His household say they’re “devastated” by his loss, as they expressed their sympathies for all these affected by the crash.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has stated works are being carried out to know the circumstances of the crash in order that “classes are discovered”.
When requested concerning the potential explanation for the collision, she stated: “It’s too early to take a position and that’s why it’s so necessary that the inspectors from the rail accident investigation branch have been there in a short time.”
The Customary has put collectively an inventory of the questions across the crash which can be but to be answered.
Why did the primary prepare cease?
Investigators are understood to be analyzing why the primary prepare — the Nottingham to London service — got here to a halt on the tracks close to Elstow, simply minutes after leaving Bedford.
Early stories point out a doable technical fault, though this has not but been formally confirmed.
Why did the second prepare additionally not cease?
On the similar time, investigators are additionally trying into why the second prepare was unable to cease after the road grew to become obstructed.
Fashionable British railways have security programs in place to stop incidents of this sort.
As a part of the inquiry, officers will study whether or not the motive force of the second prepare obtained the right info and enough warning, in addition to whether or not the prepare’s braking programs operated correctly and the way successfully the protection mechanisms carried out.
Was there a sign failure?
The Rail Accidents Investigations Bureau can even take into account whether or not there was a doable sign failure that induced the crash.
Investigators will probe whether or not the indicators appropriately indicated the observe forward was occupied; whether or not a signalling fault occurred and whether or not management centres had correct details about prepare positions.
Tony Miles, a rail journalist, stated on Sky Information: “Have been the indicators displaying purple and the prepare went previous them?
“Or have been the indicators displaying that the road was clear, and if that’s the case, how have been they in a position to know when the prepare in entrance was stopped?”
Was there a fault with one of many trains?
One of many trains concerned was a comparatively new Aurora fleet unit, investigators have confirmed.
Knowledge recorders, also known as “black containers,” will likely be downloaded and analysed to find out a timeline of occasions main as much as the collision.
They’ll deal with braking efficiency, onboard laptop logs, communications programs, and any technical faults within the lead-up to the collision.
May there have been a human error?
There may be at the moment no proof to counsel driver error, although investigators might want to rule it out as a part of their inquiries.
They can even study communications between the motive force and the signaller, together with whether or not elements equivalent to fatigue, workload pressures, or insufficient coaching could have contributed to the incident.
