At about 00:06 hours on Monday 11 July 2022, two track workers were nearly hit by a freight train going at 61 mph (98 km/h) just south of Penkridge station, Staffordshire.
Less than a second before the train reached them, the track workers cleared the way out of the way.
The freight train neared the rail workers on a nearby route as another train passed them.
The rail workers engaged in the incident were looking into an ongoing issue with the overhead line equipment that was prohibiting trains with electric propulsion from operating this piece of route, severely disrupting local train operations.
Our inquiry will look for the series of circumstances that led to the occurrence and will take the following factors into account:
- the participants’ behaviour
- the precautions used to shield railroad workers from oncoming trains
- roles, responsibilities, and hours worked by relevant employees
- how staff competency was handled
- any pertinent underlying elements.
Any inquiry conducted by the railroad sector or its watchdog, the Office of Rail and Road, is unrelated to our study.
At the completion of our study, we’ll publish our results along with any suggestions we have for enhancing safety.