The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) today released its report into a derailment near Gillingham tunnel, Dorset on 28 November 2009.
A full copy of the report is available here:
Summary
During the evening of 28 November 2009, a London to Yeovil train travelling at a speed of 64 mph ran into a landslip in the cutting on the eastern approach to Gillingham tunnel in Dorset. The leading carriage of the train became derailed and the train ran into the tunnel and stopped 200 metres inside. Two passengers reported minor injuries. The leading carriage of the train and around 450 metres of railway track were damaged.
The immediate cause of the accident was a landslip triggered by water overflowing from a blocked ditch.
The RAIB investigation identified that:
- The ditch was partly blocked by tree roots which had not been dealt with properly during maintenance work.
- Network Rail had no process for establishing the ditch condition (eg size) which should have been achieved during ditch maintenance work.
- The ditch may have been dug out to an inadequate size during maintenance work.
- The person who inspected the ditch two days before the accident did not have appropriate guidance about how to deal with the roots or appropriate guidance about the size of ditch required.
- Neither Railtrack nor Network Rail had implemented works recommended after similar landslips in the same cutting during 1999.
- An evaluation of the cutting in 2007 did not consider a document which recorded the 1999 landslips and showed that action was needed to prevent repetition.
- Network Rail’s management system for off-track drains (ie those not close to the railway tracks) did not include a process for providing inspection and maintenance staff with adequate information about required ditch sizes.
Network Rail had recognised shortcomings in its management of drainage throughout the network and were in the early stages of implementing improvements before the accident.
Recommendations
As a consequence of this accident the RAIB has made five recommendations targeted at Network Rail, addressing the following areas:
- the identification and adequate maintenance of off-track drainage where this is required for railway safety;
- an examination of compliance with mandated earthwork management processes in Network Rail’s Southeast Territory and implementation of any measures needed to deal with non-compliances;
- modifications to Network Rail’s earthwork examination processes to identify and remove possible errors;
- review and, if necessary, increasing, resource levels in the professional engineering team responsible for earthworks and drainage in Southeast Territory; and
- modifications to earthwork standards to require that drainage observations included in the examination report are consistent with locations and drain performance information that is known to maintenance teams.
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: 28 October 2010
