Boxing Day derailment

The December 2011 Torfield derailment ("Boxing Day derailment") was a severe derailment in Torfield. 3 people were killed and 25 injured, of which 8 seriously.

Events preceding the accident
At 1101, the HST set departed Torfield station and accelerated to the top line speed. Approaching Torfield Halt station a few minutes later, it began a light braking run to lower it's speed to 70mph, due to a warning in the cab. The driver then rounded the corner and ran out onto the straight. The emergency brakes were applied at 69mph and 60 metres from the derailment site. In those 60 metres, the train decelerated to 56mph.

Events during the accident
At 1104, 43048 passed Torfield Halt, going forwards, at around 56mph. Seconds later, leading car 43048's front end flew between 10-15 feet into the air, landing with a force of around 5G in a field down an embankment, to the left of the track. The impact with the ground was so hard, it immediately killed the driver of the train.

The derailment of 43048 caused 41077 to derail, and the carriage ended up leaning severely to the right, blocking the Inner Loop, although it did not fall over. The impact caused the door of 41077 to forcibly open, and the conductor fell out of the moving train and was sucked under the bogies, which ran him over and killed him. A passenger returning from the toilet also fell out of the door and was killed in the same way.

This also caused 40749 to derail, but only minorly. The trailing axle of the leading bogie of the carriage derailed.

Events immediately after the accident
Once the train came to a rest, there was general panic amongst the survivors in 41077, as both the conductor and driver were dead so there was no member of staff to help them out. One person ripped up a seat and threw it out of a window, and then several people climbed out of that window sustaining minor injuries due to broken glass. After a while the emergency services arrived, who led everyone else out through 40749.

Everyone in 40749 stayed in the carriage until emergency services arrived, as their derailment was only minor.

At 1200 RAIB arrived and started their investigation. They immediately covered 43048 in a protective blanket. 43055 was towed away from the scene, unaffected.

At 1401 20090 brought the Torfield Rail Crane to the scene and with the permission of RAIB investigators, made the severely leaning 41077 fully upright.

Cause
The preliminary cause is thought to be a Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) and/or an Object on the Line (OOTL). The RAIB report is expected soon.