Every SPAD has an explanation and statistics can only pick up trends. Drivers are the best people to comment, especially those with long years of experience on different traction, routes and weather. I'd wonder if standards of reporting have changed so a minor infringement might not have been recorded in the past. Looking at these stats it appears a large number involve only a short distance beyond the signal. For the benefit of the rest of us what are the distinctions?
All drivers must be under pressure to maintain timetables that allow very little recovery margin. I'm aware of a recent SPAD and have sympathy with the driver,. As an ordinary rail user I don't know what happened after the day in question, but it certainly caused a degree of knock on chaos as procedures were followed.
A service booked for 2x158 was sent out as 3x153 and was running late when it should have stopped to allow a 142 to complete possession of a single track section. There are countdown marker boards to the passed signal but the train didn't stop in time. Stranded for an hour only half a mile from their destination passengers were fuming. On the other train passengers who had just joined were also fuming. After an hour the 153s were backed up a short distance and all returned to normal, albeit with countless trains delayed across the network.
Procedures have to be followed. A head on crash could have occurred. Those not directly involved can't know more of the details and can only speculate what else might have happened, but an enquiry must have been held.
However if the Castlefield corridor hadn't made a major contribution to the delay the train might not have been in such a hurry. If it had been 2x158 maybe it would have stopped a little sharper? No doubt the driver will have been penalised, but it's many shortcomings on the railway that contribute to making accidents happen. Castlefield will be decades to resolve. The single line section should have been resolved last year, but won't be until 2023. 153s shouldn't be running after the end of 2019, and shouldn't have been running to support a 156 or 158, let alone 3 of them together.