Safety recommendations for South Western Railway after track workers injured in collision

Accident investigators have recommended improvements to South Western Railway (SWR) procedures, following the injury of two track workers in a collision on the Isle of Wight. A road-rail vehicle and a hand-operated trolley collided during night-time working on November 22 2023. The road-rail vehicle, which had been clearing vegetation, approached the working group north of Brading on a downhill gradient.

It was unable to stop. When the track workers realised it was not stopping, they grabbed tools from the hand trolley and lifted the trolley off the track. But the trolley was left too close to the rail and it was struck by the vehicle.

The trolley then hit two track workers in the legs, pushing them into bushes. Both went to hospital but were discharged the same day. Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) staff found the controller of site safety had not been informed of the road-rail vehicle’s movement.

SWR is responsible for both track and trains on the island. RAIB found that the company “did not have an effective process for planning and managing the risk of on-track plant movements, or for managing low adhesion risk for maintenance activities.” It said SWR had updated its risk assessment since the incident.

Crash investigators have made three recommendations to SWR about how it manages safety on Island Line.

They include providing its maintenance staff and contractors will accurate information about its infrastructure.