Railway Accident at Watford: A Report of the Investigation into the Collision that occurred on 8 August 1996 at Watford South Junction on the line from Euston to Crewe in the Railtrack Midlands Zone

"The circumstances of the accident were that at 1724 on Thursday 8 August 1996, a collision occurred between two trains approximately 700 m (765 yds) south of Watford Junction station on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). A northbound passenger train that had left London Euston station at 1704 and was travelling along the Down Slow line was struck by a southbound ECS train that was progressing across the connections linking the Up Slow to the Up Fast lines. The ECS train was traversing the crossover linking the Down Slow with the Up Fast when the collision occurred.

A team from HSE's HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) investigated the accident and was satisfied from the evidence obtained from the signalling records and from the data collected by the train borne recorder on the northbound passenger train travelling towards Watford, that the driver failed to react correctly to two signals displaying caution aspects when approaching the red signal that protected the junction at Watford South. When that signal came into his view, his train was travelling at about 110 kmlh (68 milelh) and he made a full brake application. The distance between the point of the brake application and the red signal was insufficient to permit the train to stop at the signal and it eventually came to a stand 203 m (222 yds) beyond the signal, foul of the route set for the ECS train."

• Documents
• Accidents
• Browse
• Getting Started

Have Your Say

Mailing List

Donate