Bourne End rail crash | |
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Details | |
Date | Sunday 30 September 1945 |
Time | 09:03 |
Location | Bourne End turnout, near Hemel Hempstead |
Country | England |
Rail line | West Coast Main Line (BR London Midland) |
Cause | Excessive speed on turnout |
Statistics | |
Trains | 1 |
Passengers | 398 |
Deaths | 43 |
Injuries | 64 |
List of UK rail accidents by year |
The Bourne End rail crash occurred on 30 September 1945 when an overnight sleeping-car express train from Scotland to London Euston derailed due to a driver's error. 43 people were killed, making it Britain's joint seventh worst rail disaster in terms of death toll.
Contents |
Overview
The train was the 15-coach overnight Perth to Euston express hauled by LMS Royal Scot Class 4-6-0 No 6157 The Royal Artilleryman.[1] It was scheduled to divert from the fast to the slow lines at Bourne End, Hertfordshire, near Hemel Hempstead, because of engineering work in Watford tunnel. However, the driver failed to respond to the signals in advance of the diversion and took the turnout, which had a 15 mph speed limit, at nearly 60 mph. The engine and the first six carriages overturned and fell down an embankment into a field, only the last three coaches remained on the rails.
The alarm was raised by a pilot who had just taken off from Bovingdon Aerodrome and who had observed the accident during takeoff and notified the railway authorities via the Bovingdon Control tower. Airfield staff also helped significantly with assistance after the crash (Hamilton, 1967).
Similar accidents
- Milton rail crash - overspeed through turnout
- Goswick rail crash - overspeed through turnout
- Brühl train disaster - overspeed through turnout
- Jokela rail crash - overspeed through turnout
- Jyväskylä rail crash - overspeed through turnout
- Waterfall rail accident - overspeed through sharp curve
See also
References
- ^ British Rail Disasters publ. Ian Allan, 1996
Sources
- Rolt, L.T.C. (1956 (and later editions)). Red for Danger. Bodley Head / David and Charles / Pan Books /Alan Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7509-2047-6 (1999 re-issue).
- Hamilton, J.A.B. (1967). British Railway Accidents of the 20th Century (reprinted as Disaster down the Line). George Allen and Unwin / Javelin Books. ISBN 0-7137-1973-7 (1987 re-issue).
- Railways Archive account, including official Accident Report
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Coordinates: 51°45′01.5″N 0°31′29.8″W / 51.750417°N 0.524944°W