Passenger train derailment near Chilham, Kent - 26 July 2015

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

A Southeastern service between London Charing Cross and Ramsgate has partially derailed after hitting livestock on the line between Ashford International and Canterbury West south of Chilham station. No reports of any injuries to passengers or staff. 65 passengers aboard.

Rescue services on scene and passengers from the derailed train have been evacuated to a local village hall in Godmersham.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/train-derailed-after-hitting-cattle-40716/

Picture from inside the train on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lordbonkers/status/625408086187053056

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Train derailed after hitting cows on line in Kent

A passenger train has been derailed after hitting cows on the line in Kent.

Two carriages were derailed when the train hit the cows near Chilham station while travelling from Ashford to Canterbury, Southeastern Trains said.

The firm said no injuries to passengers had been reported and the line would remain shut, with alternative transport being planned to get passengers home.

About 70 passengers were helped off the train by emergency services, with no reports of injuries.

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "It is believed the train collided with livestock which had strayed on the railway line. Two carriages have been derailed but are upright."

The train hit the cows shortly after 21:30 BST.

'Going nowhere'

Southeastern said the line between Ashford and Ramsgate via Canterbury West would be closed until further notice.

The rail firm tweeted: "We're putting alternative transport in place between Ashford, Canterbury & Ramsgate and will make sure everyone gets home this evening."

It also said it was not known how Monday's services in the area would be affected.

Passenger Jonathan Calder tweeted: "Everyone is fine but this train is going nowhere. Front coach derailed."

He later confirmed he had been able to get off the train and was "now having a cup of tea in a village hall".

I've read elsewhere that the passengers are being looked after by local WI members. Well done ladies - giving up your Sunday evening to help others. 

[JayMac]

The Kent Online story linked to in the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter) has been updated with more pictures.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/train-derailed-after-hitting-cattle-40716/

Lucky escape for all on board.

It has also emerged that the driver of the train involved ran down the line to stop a train coming in the other direction. His radio wasn't working after the collision so he was unable to warn the signallers or other trains in the area.

http://news.sky.com/story/1525777/train-driver-hailed-after-cows-derail-engine?

[Tim]

It has also emerged that the driver of the train involved ran down the line to stop a train coming in the other direction. His radio wasn't working after the collision so he was unable to warn the signallers or other trains in the area.

well done driver.  Perhaps this is something for the safety professionals to look at.  If a derailment/crash is sufficiently minor for the driver to survive then I'd propose that the radio (or perhaps a backup radio) ought also to be able to survive also. 

This kind of incident is the sort of thing which is usually/often survivable by the driver, but I imagine that there was a significant risk that he/she was injured to the extent to not being able to run down the line to warn other traffic.

This is also an argument for having a second crew member on the train who can contact the signaller if the driver is put out of action. 

[ChrisB]

Not if the cab radio is out of action?....

[JayMac]

There are other ways of protecting a train. I imagine, but can't be certain, that the driver would have used a short circuit bar to kill traction current on the other line.

Although he is being praised for running ahead and stopping the other train I think it more likely he followed procedure and killed the traction current. That is what should be done in an emergency situation on DC^▸ (Direct Current) lines if it is not possible to immediately contact the Electrical Control Officer (ECO^▸ (Electrical Control Officer)) to request an emergency switch off. A short circuit bar doesn't guarantee a train won't run in to the area of the incident (the next train could be diesel hauled for example, or too close to stop) but it is another level of protection.

[Tim]

Not if the cab radio is out of action?....

My assumption is that there would be another working radio in the rear cab?

[ChrisB]

Wouldn't they have top be two handsets for the same radio? Otherwise ID info sent with the call wouldn't be the same.

[IndustryInsider]

I'd have thought the relatively minor nature of the derailment should not be enough to render the GSM-R^▸ (Global System for Mobile communications - Railway.) radios defective in both cabs, unless that type of train cuts out the radio as soon as supply from the 3rd rail is cut off?  I'd be surprised given the age of the train in question.

There are three types of call possible on a GSM-R radio.  The emergency call, which would obviously be the appropriate one in this case, will send a emergency stop message directly to any train in that GSM-R cell and the adjacent cell either side of it, and does not need any specific train information to be entered.

[ChrisB]

Would it have a battery back-up? Maybe it ought to have?

[grahame]

I'd have thought the relatively minor nature of the derailment should not be enough to render the GSM-R^▸ (Global System for Mobile communications - Railway.) radios defective in both cabs, ....

But if the front cab one was defective, was it practical for the driver (implication is driver only operation) to make his way back through 4 carriages ... better to bolt up the track as he's said to have done, whatever the state of the radio at the back?

[patch38]

Quite a dilemma for the driver and further emphasis on the DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) situation: radio not working and you have one shorting bar in the cab. Do you:

a) short the line you are on to protect your passengers?

b) short the other line (note the caveats from BNM about no guarantee of stopping an oncoming train)?

c) hope all passengers remain on your stricken train (more difficult without a guard/train manager) and sprint off up the opposite line, leaving both lines with traction current running?

If the reports are to be believed he did the latter and all ended happily (except for the cows). He certainly had a tough decision to make.

[JayMac]

There was a guard on this service according to reports.

I've read elsewhere that the train damaged the parapet of an underbridge, removing railings and brickwork, after derailing (see attachments). That could have made the incident far worse had the train been further off the rails at that moment.

The redundancy for the radio? Perhaps just good training and correctly following procedure on the part of the driver. Protect the train, protect the lines, seek assistance. That appears to be, from reports, what he did. It may not have been practical to have tried the rear cab radio when time was of the essence.

[IndustryInsider]

The redundancy for the radio? Perhaps just good training and correctly following procedure on the part of the driver. Protect the train, protect the lines, seek assistance. That appears to be, from reports, what he did. It may not have been practical to have tried the rear cab radio when time was of the essence.

The official procedure for drivers to take is as follows:

You must immediately:
^ switch on the hazard warning indication where provided, and
^ display a red light forward.

You must then check:
^ if any other lines are obstructed (if in doubt, treat them as obstructed), and decide the quickest way to stop any approaching trains, and
^ the exact location of your train.

You must tell the signaller about the accident in the quickest way possible and whether the electric traction current needs to be switched off.

When the signaller tells you that signal protection has been provided, you must place a track-circuit operating clip on:
^ every other line that is obstructed, and
^ the line on which the your train is standing if the whole train has been derailed.

You must carry out emergency protection if:
^ the signaller cannot provide signal protection, or
^ you have not been able to contact the signaller.

Normally the quickest way to stop all trains would be via a GSM-R^▸ (Global System for Mobile communications - Railway.) emergency call - even if that meant going to the rear cab, though each incident is of course different, and the crew would have been under high levels of pressure.

[ChrisB]

As BNM says, there was a guard on this & every SouthEastern mainline train. It's not a DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) area.

If you take those instructions above to be actioned *In order*, then yes, you make sure you stop other trains *before* isolating the current. I'm sure the guard would be directing pax on board to stay on board until he's further directed.

Frankly, we're disobeying board rules and speculating....