Croydon Tram Crash

[96tommy]

A tram has overturned in Croydon

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37919658

Twitter - Sky News - London Fire Brigade says five people are trapped and 40 people have been injured after a tram overturned in a tunnel in Croydon

 

[trainmania100]

How terrible. I wonder what could have caused this to happen inside a tunnel?

 

[urpert]

TfL on Twitter describing it as a 'derailment ':

https://twitter.com/TramsLondon/status/796244518127497217

No service between Reeves Corner and Addington Village / Harrington Road while we deal with a derailment. Tickets accepted on local buses.

 

[neonison]

Rather than a tunnel reports suggest the the incident is at the bridge under Addiscombe Road on the Beckenham Junction / Elmer's End line. There is a fairly tight W-N curve at this point.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I have often marvled at the tightness of this curve and the skill of drivers easing off, taking it and rapidly getting up speed again. Really sad to hear things have gone wrong here and hope all are ok

 

[Shimbleshanks]

I have often marvled at the tightness of this curve and the skill of drivers easing off, taking it and rapidly getting up speed again. Really sad to hear things have gone wrong here and hope all are ok

I live about two miles away and it has been raining heavily pretty much all all night. Also a lot of leaf fall in the area. May be a factor, maybe not.

 

[Zoidberg]

Here's an extract from the BBC News page linked to in post #1, i.e. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37919658

Not a lot of info available, yet.

Five people are trapped and 40 people have been injured after a tram overturned in south London, the city's fire brigade has said.

The Met Police described the accident in Croydon, just after 06:00 GMT, as a "serious incident".

Hannah Collier, who lives nearby, said she saw people being carried away on stretchers.

Police, fire and ambulance crews are at the scene and people are being asked to avoid the area.

...

 

[Antman]

I can't help thinking that the tight curve must be relevant here, apparently there was heavy rain at the time. There are unconfirmed reports that the tram has just derailed and not overturned.

 

[Domh245]

There are unconfirmed reports that the tram has just derailed and not overturned.

That'd probably make sense. I saw a tweet saying that the tram involved was 2 cars which given that all of the photos so far have a picture of 5 car 2554 would suggest that it was just 2 cars of said tram. Certainly you wouldn't think that the tram had overturned looking at the photos (although that might be a rescue tram?)

 

[mirodo]

That'd probably make sense. I saw a tweet saying that the tram involved was 2 cars which given that all of the photos so far have a picture of 5 car 2554 would suggest that it was just 2 cars of said tram. Certainly you wouldn't think that the tram had overturned looking at the photos (although that might be a rescue tram?)

That's not the tram involved. This is, very much derailed and on its side:
https://twitter.com/rachaelvenables/status/796273144717803520

 

[Domh245]

That's not the tram involved. This is, very much derailed and on its side:
https://twitter.com/rachaelvenables/status/796273144717803520

Wow, oh dear. Not good at all.

 

[Zoidberg]

That's not the tram involved. This is, very much derailed and on its side:
https://twitter.com/rachaelvenables/status/796273144717803520

That pic shows the severity of the incident well.

Perhaps someone more skilled than I can post it in this thread.

I’m going to try ...

 

[Domh245]

That pic shows the severity of the incident well.

Perhaps someone more skilled than I can post it in this thread.

 

[Romney Bobby]

Overspeed due to poor adhesion perhaps?

 

[Antman]

Overspeed due to poor adhesion perhaps?

That's what I thought, fast section through the tunnel and then slow for the tight curve.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Will the RAIB likely investigate this?

 

[Zoidberg]

Will the RAIB likely investigate this?

RAIB has already tweeted that investigators are on the way.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

...

Thanks, that was what I was trying to achieve and how you did it has been noted.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Do the Croydon tram routes have anything remotely on the lines of TPWS overspeed grids

 

[maniacmartin]

One of my colleagues found this picture somewhere on twitter.

I can also confirm it was raining very heavily around that time in the Croydon area

 

[Romney Bobby]

I'd say (from Google maps) that there's a good 100m between the tunnel exit and the curve, the majority being tree-lined. Was this the first tram of the morning? If so it may have experienced a railhead with a heavy overnight leaf fall from all that rain whilst braking hard for the curve?

 

[edwin_m]

If it was coming out of Croydon there is a falling gradient and a facing junction immediately before this curve, either of which could be factors in the derailment.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Do the Croydon tram routes have anything remotely on the lines of TPWS overspeed grids

I would expect not - trams are driven on sight as per road vehicles.

 

[edwin_m]

I would expect not - trams are driven on sight as per road vehicles.

Correct - there is no form of ATP or overspeed protection.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

BBC Local Live update reports:

St George's Hospital said: “Following an overturned tram incident in Croydon early this morning, 20 people have been brought to St George’s Hospital for treatment.

"Of these 20 patients, four are seriously injured..."

 

[swt_passenger]

Will the RAIB likely investigate this?

Of course, and I'm very surprised you need to ask. RAIB have investigated many incidents on this system in the past, it would be inconceivable if probably one of the worst incidents so far wouldn't be in scope.

 

[Class455]

I am really shocked to see such a thing happen, especially how I used to use the trams every single day through that area! It must have done the curve too fast as many times before, drivers used to negotiate this curve with extreme caution. Tram involved was a CR4000, so I think the tram would most likely be written off. Not sure which unit it was. Had I not been in college today, I would have gone down there to have a look. I wish those injured a speedy recovery.

 

[urpert]

More on the Evening Standard:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/tran...rturns-in-at-sandilands-a3390796.html#gallery

 

[Clip]

Ooh looks nasty that for them to go right over. Thats the woodside tunnel isnt it?

 

[Johnuk123]

There are some deaths in this crash.
Sun are reporting 6.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Declared as a major incident by all three agencies. There were a significant number of injured people, some serious, and sadly some fatalities.