A COLLISION which occurred when a GB Railfreight-operated freight train ran into the back of a stationary freight train after passing a signal at danger was caused after the driver lost awareness, probably due to the effects of fatigue, according to a Rail Accident Investigation Branch report.
The incident took place on July 5, 2022, at Loversall Carr Junction in Doncaster, when GBRf service 4E11 from Felixstowe to Masborough, hauled by 66729 Derby County, collided with the rear of a Freightliner service at a speed of about 28mph. Significant damage was caused to 66729, some of the wagons on both trains, and infrastructure, with the area being closed for 26 days for recovery and repairs.
The RAIB investigation found that the driver failed to stop at signal D197, which was displaying a danger aspect to protect the stationary Freightliner train ahead, and although the GBRf driver applied the emergency brake on 66729 some 82 metres after passing the signal, there was insufficient time for him to stop the train. The driver of 66729 was taken to hospital as a precaution and released later the same day. The driver of the Freightliner train was unhurt.
It was established by RAIB that the driver’s working pattern was likely to cause fatigue and they had also experienced low-quality rest, primarily caused by an undiagnosed sleep condition. It was also possible that the driver had expected signal D197 to not be displaying a danger aspect, due to their previous experience approaching the signal.
The RAIB said that GBRf had not detected that the driver was at risk of fatigue through its management systems, which did not follow current industry good practice, and the company’s risk assessment processes also failed to identify the hazards created by a driver driving while fatigued.
Two recommendations were made. The first r
