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 individuals stay in hospital, together with 9 in a vital 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 grasp the circumstances of the crash in order that “classes are realized”.
When requested concerning the potential reason behind the collision, she stated: “It’s too early to take a position and that’s why it’s so essential 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 are but to be answered.
Why did the primary prepare cease?
Investigators are understood to be inspecting 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 reviews point out a attainable 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 wanting into why the second prepare was unable to cease after the road grew to become obstructed.
Trendy British railways have security programs in place to forestall incidents of this sort.
As a part of the inquiry, officers will look at whether or not the motive force of the second prepare obtained the right data and enough warning, in addition to whether or not the prepare’s braking programs operated correctly and the way successfully the security mechanisms carried out.
Was there a sign failure?
The Rail Accidents Investigations Bureau can even take into account whether or not there was a attainable sign failure that induced the crash.
Investigators will probe whether or not the alerts appropriately indicated the monitor 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 alerts exhibiting purple and the prepare went previous them?
“Or have been the alerts exhibiting that the road was clear, and in that case, how have been they capable of 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 bins,” might 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.
Might there have been a human error?
There’s presently no proof to recommend driver error, although investigators might want to rule it out as a part of their inquiries.
They can even look at communications between the motive force and the signaller, together with whether or not components equivalent to fatigue, workload pressures, or insufficient coaching could have contributed to the incident.
