The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) today released its report into a near-miss between a train and a wheelchair user on Victory level crossing, near Taunton, Somerset on 19 December 2009.
A full copy of the report is available here:
Summary
At around 18:40 hrs on 19 December 2009, an unaccompanied wheelchair user attempted to traverse Victory level crossing. As he approached the south side of the crossing, the front right-hand wheel of his wheelchair became trapped in an area of ballast located in the south-west corner of the crossing. While he was attempting to free the wheel, the level crossing audible tone sounded to warn of an approaching train. Unable to free the wheel, the wheelchair user took hold of a nearby fence and pulled himself free from the wheelchair. Moments later the train passed over the level crossing and struck the back wheel of the wheelchair.
The wheelchair user suffered bruising to his leg when he fell to the ground after pulling himself from the wheelchair. A passer-by used a telephone at the level crossing to speak to the signaller. The signaller stopped trains from approaching the level crossing and called the ambulance service.
The RAIB investigation identified that the causal factors were:
- the non-application of asphalt to the full length of the south side of the crossing during renewal work undertaken in March 2007;
- the uneven interface created by the non-application of asphalt to the full length of the south side of the crossing was not identified during a number of crossing inspections and risk assessments that took place between March 2007 and December 2009; and
- the skewed angle between the railway and the road at this level crossing, which meant that the wheelchair user was not able to follow a straight path at the side of the level crossing because of the risk of the front wheels of the wheelchair dropping into the gaps between rails and crossing panels.
The RAIB also observed that Network Rail’s management processes were not effective in restoring Victory level crossing to a compliant condition following the work carried out in March 2007 (the crossing had been left without appropriate road markings (white lines) for over a year).
Immediately after the accident, Network Rail replaced the ballast in the south-west corner of the crossing with concrete to provide a firm and even surface.
Recommendations
As a consequence of this accident the RAIB has made four recommendations, targeted at Network Rail, addressing the areas of:
- improvements in level crossing design standards to address the issue of consistent surfaces;
- enhancement of level crossing inspection standards and checklists to highlight the potential hazards from inconsistent crossing surfaces to small wheels such as those on wheelchairs and children’s pushchairs;
- review of methods for minimising the hazards to users with small wheeled equipment such as wheelchairs and pushchairs from the gap between rails and crossing panels at skewed level crossings; and
- review of the adequacy of its arrangements for addressing the correction of deficiencies in safety-related work at level crossings.
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: 7 October 2010
