Train passengers injured near Peterborough as some thrown from …
Railway passengers travelling through Cambridgeshire were thrown from their seats after their train passed over points at a Cambridgeshire junction. The incident occurred when the Grand Central train, the 9.54am service from Sunderland to London King’s Cross, passed over three sets of points at Spital Junction on the northern approach to Peterborough station.
The Rail Accidents Investigation Branch (RAIB) said the train passed over the points at around 65 mph (104 km/h). The maximum permitted speed over the junction is 30 mph (48 km/h) reducing to 25 mph (40 km/h).
This led to the train lurching sideways – with a number of passengers suffering minor injuries as a result. Some were also thrown of their seats during the incident, which took place at around 1pm on Thursday, May 4.
A RAIB spokesperson said: “The train subsequently came to a stand at Peterborough station under emergency braking. The train did not derail during the incident, and subsequent inspections found that no damage was caused to the infrastructure of the railway, or to the vehicles.
“The train involved in the incident was not due to call at Peterborough[2]. It had been approaching the station on a fast line, before being routed onto a slower line via the points where the overspeed occurred. The route onto this slower line was being displayed by the junction signal situated on the approach to the points.”
The RAIB has launched an investigation into the incident and issued urgent safety advice for train operators[3] and Network Rail. Another investigation into speeding in the area, involving a Lumo train from Newcastle to King’s Cross in April 2022, is still ongoing.
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References
- ^ Calls for improvements at Cambs railway junction (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ Peterborough (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ issued urgent safety advice for train operators (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)