Report 01/2007: Derailment at Brentingby Junction
Derailment of a freight train at Brentingby Junction, near Melton Mowbray, 9 February 2006.
On Thursday 09 February an EWS freight train passed a signal at danger and derailed at a set of trap points at the end of a goods line at Brentingby Junction, near Melton Mowbray. The locomotive and the first three wagons were derailed. There were no injuries as a result of the accident, but some damage was caused to the wagons.
The immediate cause of the accident was that the driver had a microsleep approaching the signal, and was only woken after the train had derailed beyond the signal. Two causal factors were that the driver was suffering from fatigue and the use of trap points as a measure to mitigate overruns. There were several contributory factors to the incident, including that the driver had intended to stop at the signal, rather than 20m short as required. He did this to avoid walking to the signal post telephone.
RAIB has made ten recommendations as a result of its investigation. They cover:
- improvements to the management of fatigue;
- improving the safety of trap points; and
- re-positioning the signal post telephone.
Response to recommendations:
- RAIB will periodically update the status of recommendations as reported to us by the relevant safety authority or public body.
- RAIB may add comment, particularly if we have concerns regarding these responses.