Accidents and incidents in Torfield

Rail
21 February - 66412's trailing bogie derailed and moved slightly down an embankment while it was moving unidentified EMT HST carriages on an ECS move to Torfield depot. No one was injured and the derailment was only minor.

1 May - while working light engine, one of 66412's buffers came off at low speed. The train was stopped, the buffer was put back on, and just 10 minutes later "Malcolm" was off again. No one was injured and no damage occurred.

7 May - while in service, 42164's leading bogie suddenly turned 90 degrees perpendicular to what it should be, and came away from the body, but was not damaged. Limited damage and no injuries occurred.

20 July - while working light engine, 66412 struck a person on a level crossing, killing them and injuring five others. Click here for the page on this accident.

23 July - several carriages of a HST derailed at high speed, killing 9 people and injuring 69 more. Click here for the page on this accident.

3 August - while taking part in a heritage tour, Furness Railway no. 33 suffered a large boiler explosion due to a lack of water caused by incorrect dial readings. Nobody was hurt. Click here for the page in this accident.

26 September - 66412 collides with a spider while working light engine at high speed, killing it and shocking the driver. The spider was reportedly shredded to pieces. No damage occurred and the line was closed for 3 hours.

10 November - 44047 derails over points 1A, as it was approaching Torfield railway station at low speed with a service from London St Pancras to there. 15 people were reportedly injured. Although one set of bogies only slightly became derailed, the shaking inside the carriage especially at the derailed (trailing) end was said to be extreme. Due to it's precarious position and danger of toppling over, a complicated series of spare rails have been placed below the bogies from a nearby engineering works and poles are being propped against the carriage to keep it upright. The carriage was recovered from the site on 25 November by 66412.

21 November - while operating a tour, the Torfield Steam Locomotive's Carriage's leading axle derailed at around 3mph, while the train was in the process of braking. No one was injured in the derailment at Torfield Road level crossing. The Locomotive uncoupled and returned to depot unharmed the next day, while 66412 hauled the Carriage, on a low loader due to severe wheelflats and a bent axle and other underside damage, back to depot on 25 November.

26 November - the HST set, led by 43048, struck debris on the line during daylight hours. The train had braked to 20mph by impact. No one was injured during the initial incident. Debris, which had been blown off the adjacent platform at Torfield railway station by high winds, included a large iron railing, a weighing scale, a trolley, and a golf buggy-like machine to haul the trolley along the platform. All will need replacing due to damage. 43048 suffered minor damage. The weather at the time of the incident was very poor, with winds gusting to 50mph, visibility of less than 1.5 miles, and intermittent heavy rain. A few minutes after the incident 42164 was struck by flying sleepers ripped up by high winds, causing minor damage and 2 injuries. 66412 arrived on scene shortly after.

26 December - a HST stuck an object in the line. The subsequent derailment killed 3 people and injured 25 more. Click here for the page on this accident.

Road
9 December -  a lorry carrying ten tonnes of polystyrene overturns on Torfield Road level crossing, sending polystyrene flying everywhere. Over the subsequent eight days, a massive environmental clean-up operation takes place. Click here for the page on this accident.

31 December - an overcrowded tour bus overturned in the car park of Torfield station, ending up on it's side up against the back of the platform. 42 people were injured. Click here for the page on the accident.

Rail
13 February - faulty points derailed a freight train headed by 20090, injuring 2 people. Click here for the page on this accident.

27 February - 20090 was intentionally crashed into a brown bauxite wagon on Torfield Road level crossing, as part of the filming for a Don't Run The Risk level crossing safety advert. The wagon was written off and currently lingers at the EMR scrapyard. 20090 was undamaged and no one was hurt. The advert aired on 10 March 2012.

17 March - one axle of 40749 in the Torfield HST set derailed over poor-quality rails. No one was hurt and nothing was damaged. The rails had clearly been extensively worn, with cracks and black dirt visible on them. Over the next few weeks first a lowered speed limit then extensive track replacement works that led to the cancellation of all services for a few days took place.

20 March - while trying to form a football special HST service, 44047 was shunted into some buffers at the depot by 20090 at approximately 9mph. Driver error is thought to be the cause. The locomotive was undamaged and the carriage suffered minor damage to one end, however it was enough to warrant the cancellation of the football special and it's replacement with a normal HST service.

Road
3 March - SF53 LMV was involved in an RTA with a red Toyota Supra at a low speed. The car was speeding when it clipped the lorry as it turned out of the EMR scrapyard at low speed. No one was hurt. The car suffered minor scratching while the lorry suffered some major scratches to the lower right hand corner and a bent right wingmirror.

Rail
1 January - 390004 was evacuated at Torfield station after the driver was informed of an "immediate and grave danger" to his train from terrorist attack. Following the evacuation, an explosive device capable of cauding a major accident were found one one of the passengers, who was arrested.

11 January - A HST struck a car on a level crossing. The collision left two people dead and numerous injured, with three carriages of the train off the rails. Click here for the page on this accident.

27 January - After a driver of one freight train passes several signals at danger, it runs into the rear of another freight train at Torfield station at 60mph, resulting in a huge derailment which kills one and injures twenty more. Click here for the page on this accident.

2 May -  a wheel on one freight wagon cracks and then shatters, derailing the aforementioned wagon. Nobody was hurt, but the accident brought into question the safety of British wagons. Click here for the page on this accident.

25 July - at 1909, a rake of empty oil wagons ran away from their siding due to incorrect brake application. They sped through Torfield station two minutes later, at which point they were spotted and a serious incident declared. The line the tanks were speeding down was shut down, with trains being evacuated off of it and all services being suspended in the area. 66412 was sent out to track down the wagons. After chasing them for six miles, 66412 coupled to the rearmost wagon at precisely 1923 and brought the runaway train to a halt. Following the incident, the rake of oil wagons was hauled back to Torfield TMD by 66412, and normal services were resumed from 1930.

29 July - during engineering works at Torfield TMD, 56125 ran down a line where works were in progress. Part of the line had been removed, and the locomotive crashed off of the end of the line onto the ballast of the removed section. The driver had braked to low speed prior to the accident and only the leading axle went off of the front of the rails. Nobody was hurt and the locomotive was undamaged.