Report on the Collisions that occurred on 18th August 1981 at Parks Bridge Junction and on 13th November 1981 at Bromley Junction in the Southern Region British Railways

"In the first collision, the driver of the 07.49 Charing Cross to Bromley North electric multiple-unit passenger train, 2504, consisting of eight coaches and travelling on the Down Fast line, passed a signal at Danger and observed the 06.18 Dover Priory to Cannon Street electric multiple-unit express passenger train, 1G51, consisting of twelve coaches, crossing from the Up Fast line to the Up Slow line ahead of him. The driver of the Down train immediately made an emergency brake application but was unable to avoid the nearside corner of his driving cab from striking the nearside of the rearmost driving cab of the Up train. Fortunately the collision was not sufficiently severe to cause a derailment but damage was caused to the side panels and windows of both driving cabs and the associated hand rails. There was no significant damage to the passenger accommodation and no passengers were injured...

In the second collision, the 08.23 Beckenham Junction to Victoria electric multiple-unit passenger train, 2R66, consisting of four coaches, struck the offside of the leading coach of the 08.22 West Croydon to London Bridge electric multiple-unit passenger train, 2K44, formed of eight coaches, where the Up Crystal Palace spur joins the Up Bromley line to form the Up Crystal Palace line, the latter train having passed the signal protecting the junction at Danger. The collision resulted in the leading three coaches of train 21344 being derailed, together with the leading two coaches of train 2R66; substantial damage occurred to the derailed coaches.

The emergency services were summoned and arrived at the difficult site approximately 19 minutes later, by which time all passengers had been detrained from both trains and escorted by railway staff along the track to Crystal Palace Station. No passengers or railway staff were seriously injured but six passengers received minor injuries or shock, as did both members of the crew of train 2K44."

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