| Southall rail crash | |
|---|---|
 The remains of Coach G of the High Speed Train | |
| Details | |
| Date | 19 September 1997 13:20 |
| Location | Southall |
| Country | England |
| Line | Great Western Main Line |
| Operator | Great Western Trains (InterCity 125), Hanson (freight train) |
| Cause | Signal passed at danger |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Passengers | 212 |
| Deaths | 7 |
| Injured | 139 |
| List of rail accidents in the United Kingdom | |
The Southall rail crash occurred on 19 September 1997, on the Great Western Main Line at Southall, West London. An InterCity 125 high speed passenger train (HST) failed to slow down in response to warning signals and collided with a freight train crossing its path, causing seven deaths and 139 injuries.
The passenger train operating company had failed to inform Railtrack and the signaller that the automatic warning system (AWS), which warns drivers of adverse signals, had been turned off in the cab of the HST. As a result, the signaller set a route which would stop the HST and allow the freight train to cross in front of it. If the signaller had known that the AWS in the express was not working, he would have been prevented by the operating rules from setting a conflicting route. The HST driver did not apply the brakes until it was too late because he was packing his bag and did not see the cautionary signals.[1] He was charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, but the charges were later dropped.
Great Western Trains, whose managing director survived the crash in one of the most badly affected carriages, was fined for failure to ensure that the HST had their automatic warning system working during long journeys.
- ^ Professor John Uff QC FREn. "The Southall Rail Accident Inquiry Report" (PDF). HSE Books. Retrieved 7 November 2011.