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Tube trains seconds from collision in rush-hour blunder
Dick Murray, Transport Correspondent30 Mar 2009
Tube bosses launched an investigation after two rush-hour trains came within seconds of crashing into each other, it was revealed today.
The driver of a District line service watched in horror as a Piccadilly line train crossed the track just in front of him at a junction.
A signalman has been relieved of duty while the near-miss which happened just before 6pm on Friday is investigated.
The District line train had just left Ealing Broadway station when the driver passed through the red signal.
The train was brought to an immediate halt and the driver quickly reported what had happened.
After a few minutes, he was given permission to continue but just as he was about to move, the Piccadilly train, which was heading west having just left Ealing Common, crossed the track junction immediately in front of him.
Sources say the driver of the District line acted "by the book" after passing the red light.
The incident left him shaken and he checked everything before starting off. At that point he was about five carriage lengths from the junction.
It is thought that the slight delay probably saved lives including his own and that of the driver of the other train.
The Piccadilly line train was travelling at about 25mph and experts have warned that a collision would have taken them both off the tracks with probable loss of life.
The incident has been reported to the Railway Inspectorate and the Rail Accident Investigation Board.
Sources told the Standard the Piccadilly train had been given a green light. Another Piccadilly train, heading south, had been correctly halted at a signal.
A senior source said: "This was so nearly a very bad crash. If the Piccadilly line train had hit the District service, it would have taken both trains off the track."
A spokeswoman for Transport for London said: "Safety is London Underground's top priority and we have an excellent safety record.
"Following an incident, involving a District line and a Piccadilly line train, an investigation has been launched by London Underground."
Reader views (3)
I am sure the SPAD (Signal Passed At Danger) will be investigated if it was not authorised. If the signal was broken, they defult to the red aspect and staff have to manually ensure the track is clear before passing it at red. Normally this is done by the signaler, but sometimes the driver has to walk down the track too.
Sadly I can see this becoming more common place too. With all the "Sub-Surface" lines (District, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Circle lines) coming into one signal center under the upgrade plans, the signalers will have less time to monitor trains because they will be under alot more pressure.
But hey-ho, the same is happening all over the Underground, hopefully as staff become more used to the "new" way of working as a signaler the errors will become fewer and further between. But time will tell.
Mabie with the credit crunch and TfL cutting back on the upgrades because they lost 12 billion pounds in banks in Iceland, these signals and signal box's won't be replaced for a longer time, leading to more storys like this.
- James Galbraith, London, UK, 31/03/2009 09:51
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Call me old fashioned but why did the district line driver go through the red signal in the first place? Surely this ought to be investigated too?
- Gareth, Hampshire, 30/03/2009 14:20
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I suspect this is only the beginning - if Boris announces further cutbacks at TfL, then we can expect more near misses or potentially even a tragedy. Signalling equipment on some parts of the network is decrepit and had been due for renewal - these projects need to be fully funded.
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall, 30/03/2009 13:20
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