The driver of a train that ploughed into the back of a stationary service near Bedford had passed a red signal moments before the collision, according to a preliminary investigation into the crash that killed him and injured more than 150 people.
Shaun Burton, 60, died when the London-bound Luton airport express from Corby struck the rear of a Nottingham-to-London train at about 5.15pm on Friday near Elstow, Bedfordshire. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said in an interim report on Wednesday that CCTV footage showed Burton's train passing a red signal near the scene, and that data from a black box recorded the brakes being applied for nine seconds before impact. The train's speed had reduced from 76mph to 49mph by the time it hit.
“Driver Shaun Burton passed a red signal before fatal Bedford crash, says RAIB; 162 injured, safety system missing.”
The stationary train, a new Aurora class 810 model built by Hitachi and brought into service by East Midlands Railway (EMR) within the past six months, had stopped unexpectedly because of a fault with its automatic warning system (AWS) equipment, which caused the brakes to apply, investigators found. The RAIB said it was not yet possible to say what indication Burton received from the AWS on his train, which should have triggered an emergency brake unless he acknowledged the alert.
In total, 162 people were injured, 102 of whom needed hospital treatment. British Transport Police confirmed that 53 people remain in hospital, with eight in a critical condition. Emergency services, including multiple air ambulances and 70 firefighters, attended the scene. Passenger Pete Knapp described the crash as "like a bomb explosion", while Dr Pete Knapp, another passenger, said: "People were crying, screaming, and people were so scared and confused."
The report noted that another safety system, the train protection and warning system (TPWS), which is designed to automatically stop trains that pass a red signal, was not installed on this stretch of the Midland mainline. Dave Calfe, general secretary of the train drivers' union Aslef, said: "What will concern passengers, and what concerns us, is that there are safety systems that can be put in place to prevent such accidents happening and the network should have been able to cope." He added: "If TPWS had been installed, this accident would not have happened, the driver would not have died, and no passengers would have been injured."
EMR managing director Will Rogers said the company was "deeply sorry that this has happened on our railway" and that its thoughts remained with those affected, "particularly EMR driver Shaun Burton, who tragically lost his life". Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "deeply saddened" and sent his sympathies to Burton's family. The RAIB said its full investigation would consider "the actions of those involved and any factors that may have influenced them".