Person hit by train at Charlbury - 26 February 2014

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Mail:

Line re-opens after man killed by train at Charlbury

A train line which was closed after a man was struck at Charlbury earlier today has now re-opened.

Rail operator First Great Western suspended its services between Oxford and Worcester Shrub Hill due to the incident where a man was killed shortly before 12 noon. A replacement bus service was used and the service resumed just over two hours later and is now running normally.

British Transport Police spokesman Brian Price said the man, who has yet to be identified, was pronounced dead at the scene and the incident was not being treated as suspicious. He said: ^Officers are working to establish the man^s identity and inform his family. A file will be prepared for the coroner. The train involved was a London Paddington to Hereford service.^

[CLPGMS]

It is understood that the man who was hit by a train was a member of a rail team working at the site of a small landslip about a mile west of Charlbury.

[bobm]

There was an unconfirmed report on the day that the man involved was working for Network Rail contractor Carillion Rail.  The RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) did go to the site but no word of any investigation as yet.

Thoughts with all concerned.  From concersations I have had a driver feels bad enough when their train hits anyone, but particularly when it is "one of their own".

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Times:

Death of rail worker hit by train being investigated


Charlbury Station

A man who was killed by a train near Charlbury on Wednesday was a rail worker believed to be in his fifties.

He was struck by a First Great Western train travelling from London Paddington to Great Malvern on Wednesday at 11.40am.

His death is not being treated as suspicious.

British Transport Police officers and ambulance paramedics were called to Catsham Lane Bridge, between Charlbury and Chadlington, shortly before noon, but the man was declared dead at the scene.

Network Rail spokeswoman Anne-Marie Batson said: ^Sadly, a rail worker was struck and fatally injured by a train near Charlbury.  Emergency services attended the scene assisted by Network Rail staff.  The police subsequently declared the incident to be non-suspicious.  As a result, the Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch)) confirmed it would not be investigating.^

However Office of Rail Regulation spokesman Brian Clarke said: ^We are gathering information on the fatality to establish what investigation is needed.^

Richard Fairhurst, who looks after transport issues for Charlbury Town Council, said: ^It^s a very sad thing. We haven^t had anything like that on the railway line for years.^

He said Network Rail had been carrying out work in the area.

Mr Fairhurst added: ^People have been wondering whether it^s something connected to the work going on.^

Hmm. 

Network Rail spokeswoman Anne-Marie Batson said: ^Sadly, a rail worker was struck and fatally injured by a train near Charlbury.  Emergency services attended the scene assisted by Network Rail staff.  The police subsequently declared the incident to be non-suspicious.  As a result, the Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB) confirmed it would not be investigating.^

My understanding is that the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (not Board) can and will investigate any such incident, whether the local police decide it is suspicious or not, if the RAIB decide it is appropriate to do so.

[ChrisB]

Indeed, that's the local press adding two & two & making five....without checking their facts.

Quelle surprise!

[Richard Fairhurst]

Followup report from the Oxford Mail: http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/11470377.Rail_worker_killed_after_stepping_in_front_of_Cotswold_Line_train_near_Charlbury/?ref=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for posting that news update, Richard Fairhurst.

Purely for ease of reference to all of our readers, some of whom may not be able to access links from mobile devices, I'll quote the full This Is Oxfordshire article here:

Rail worker killed after stepping in front of Cotswold Line train near Charlbury

An experienced railway worker died when he walked out in front of a Cotswold Line train near Charlbury, after telling a co-worker and friend to get lost.

Dennis Williams, 52, returned to work on February 24 after taking a month off to recover from a hernia operation, Oxfordshire Coroner^s Court heard on Wednesday.

The self-employed contractor, of Duffryn View, Rhymney, Gwent, had worked on the railways for 14 years and had been hired as a controller of site safety to oversee the repair of a section of embankment damged by a landslip between Charlbury and Shorthampton.

On February 26, at about 11.38am, the married father of two children had a brief altercation with Anthony Thomas, with whom he was sharing safety responsibilities that day.

Mr Thomas, who had known Mr Williams for about three years, told the court: ^He was very abrupt with me.^

The court heard that moments later Mr Williams walked on to the tracks in front of a train from London to Great Malvern, which was accelerating away from Charlbury station at more than 50mph.

In a statement read to the hearing, train driver Kevin Tame said Mr Williams moved his arms above his head, signalling him to stop. Mr Tame could not halt the train in time, coming to rest 343 metres up the line after hitting Mr Williams.

Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter recorded an open verdict, saying it was a ^somewhat perplexing^ case. He added: ^It seemed he stepped in front of the train in the full knowledge the train was there... (but) I can^t be certain that Dennis Williams intended to take his own life.^