The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) today released its report into a fatal accident at Whitehall West junction, Leeds, on 2 December 2009.
A full copy of the report is available here:
Summary
At 09:37 hrs on Wednesday 2 December 2009 and soon after leaving Leeds station, a train struck and killed a track worker who was acting as a lookout for a work group. At the time of the accident the train was being driven by a trainee in the presence of a supervisor driver; it was not carrying passengers at this time.
The RAIB investigation identified that the accident was caused by the actions of the lookout who had moved from a position of safety where he was carrying out his duties to a position closer to the track. A train then approached from behind which struck and killed him.
After the accident the emergency services were called and Yorkshire Ambulance Service despatched an ambulance. The ambulance driver could not find his way to the accident site without the assistance of a Network Rail employee as the location did not have an address or postcode (it was on railway infrastructure) and he was unable to use its grid reference.
Recommendations
As a consequence of this accident the RAIB makes one recommendation to Network Rail and one to the Ambulance Services of the United Kingdom. The recommendation to Network Rail is to consider ways to reduce the likelihood of lookouts moving dangerously close to trains and, if appropriate make arrangements to physically identify their safe positions and the recommendation to Ambulance Services of the United Kingdom is to consider ways to reduce the likelihood of ambulance drivers not finding a location that does not have an address or a postcode and, if appropriate, make arrangements for their drivers to be able to use grid references.
Notes to editors
1. The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety. The RAIB does not establish blame, liability or carry out prosecutions.
2. For media enquiries, please call 020 7944 3248.
Newsdate: 2 September 2010
