I know the AAIB don't play the blame game, are the RAIB any different
(my bold)The purpose of a Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) investigation is to improve railway safety by preventing future railway accidents or by mitigating their consequences. It is not the purpose of such an investigation to establish blame or liability. Accordingly, it is inappropriate that RAIB reports should be used to assign fault or blame, or determine liability, since neither the investigation nor the reporting process has been undertaken for that purpose.
Bearing in mind it was only the other week that the police had to ask people to get off an overcrowded train at Plymouth, I wonder what magnitude of effect this incident will have regarding the non-availability of rolling stock.
How do you know this? The ambulance service reported that everyone was stable!
BBC said:Police have advised people to avoid the station if possible, and said delays were likely for passengers travelling through the Plymouth area.
Whilst I don't want to start pointing fingers at people, I would like to know why the Sprinter driver didn't stop in time. Also, would the signaller be relieved after the accident as ATC people are with air-crashes
I'm intrigued at this sentence in the BBC's article:
Why should people avoid the station? Is it just to discourage gawkers? Surely if you're travelling by train you need to go where the train goes...
Incident messages internally. Glad to hear it may have been incorrect though.
Yes the signaller was taken off, just standard procedure though doesn't imply any guilt or otherwise.
Oh you know what it's like, you get the professionally "shocked" who claim to have seen it happen, been on the train and so on & so forth, so they can claim compo! Also there's the just plain curious who'll just get in the way of things.
I know it is tempting, but can we refrain from speculating the causes please until the report is out?
Once the report has established the exact causes, that would be the time to discuss various aspects of failures and potential improvements.
GWR have three 'spare' power cars, so it depends on their availability, and on whether the Mk3 coaches are undamaged, but the HST could be back in service relatively quickly.
The 150 situation will be harsher, as there are already not quite enough DMUs in their fleet to run the service they want to at all times in the past there have been full-time bus replacements rationed out amongst branch lines on a rota basis.
Yes, replacement 43s power cars shouldn't be a problem. I think one of the spares is in Plymouth Laira already.
Previously when 150s have been damaged (like the derailment at Westbury or the fire on a 150 just outside Plymouth) typically a hybrid 150/153 has been formed: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=45481
I would imagine both trains involved in the incident today will be shunted back to Laira, from where more detailed examinations can be conducted and trains can be split / reformed accordingly. There's also a suitable loading ramp there to convoy damaged stock away by road, should the need arise.
Praise to the station staff and emergency services this afternoon. I heard it was all handled extremely professionally. The stories that the local ad-rags are running headlining this as "20 injured in Plymouth express train smash" are best ignored as always!
Not sure how Plymouth station works currently, it has always seemed like a station with more platforms than it really needs. Is there a reluctance to use platforms 7 and 8 unless absolutely necessary due to staffing issues?
When I heard of the accident I have to admit to breathing a sigh of relief as to the timing. Yesterday I attended the Golden Wedding celebrations of some friends in Penzance and three of their guests, including their daughter, were travelling on a Pz to Paddington service at 14.30 today, which would still have been nowhere near Plymouth by 15.30, so I know they are safe. I'll post later as to what happened to their journey(s). Two of them had to get to Margate, one of them starting a new job tomorrow morning in London.
Not sure how Plymouth station works currently, it has always seemed like a station with more platforms than it really needs. Is there a reluctance to use platforms 7 and 8 unless absolutely necessary due to staffing issues?
14 casualties reported locally. 12 walking wounded moved to a holding area for assessment, with driver and one passenger treated at the scene.
Unconfirmed report that the HST was shunted some 4 feet which would suggest a bit more than 'low speed' collision.
Also a 4 car unit and a HST wouldn't fit on Platform 6 at Plymouth which is something that will probably be key in the investigation.
Having said that, even if signaller error, the driver of the HST should have been fully aware of this.
Exactly. I'm surprised a platform, anything SW of Bristol, could accommodate both a HST and any other stock you care to mention. Having said that, even if signaller error, the driver of the HST should have been fully aware of this. Still, let's wait until the RAIB report before jumping to conclusions
I can't see how the driver of the HST has done anything wrong. His train was seemingly correctly platformed and stationary when hit in the rear by 2E68.