Freight train derailment at Reading causing severe disruption - 28 January 2012

[whole diary]

[Phil]

Mind you on the way back we did have "stary man" and "smelly man" (I hope I'm allowed to call somoene smelly on here) in our carriage which made the journey seem very long..

I think that's OK, Jo. Just so long as the person in question wasn't Bob Crow, obviously 

[Chris from Nailsea]

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch)) has released its report into the freight train derailment at Reading West Junction on 28 January 2012. The RAIB has made five recommendations:

Summary

At 13:42 hrs on 28 January 2012 a wagon on a container train derailed, and then re- railed, when crossing a section of track connecting two lines (a crossover) at Reading West Junction. No-one was injured. However, the condition of the train was such that the derailment could have taken place elsewhere, in which case the consequences might have been more severe.

The train was formed of 25 container-carrying flat wagons. The wagon that derailed was the 24th from the front. It was carrying a single freight container on the trailing end, which was packed with 13 pallets of automotive components, each weighing approximately 1300 kg. On opening the container, the RAIB found that all the pallets were unsecured and had moved to the side, resulting in uneven loading of the wagon. A survey of the track revealed a geometry defect (a twist fault) close to the point of derailment.

The cause of the derailment was that there was insufficient load on the front right-hand wheel of the wagon to prevent its flange climbing over the railhead. This was the combined result of the uneven loading on the wagon, specifically the lateral offset of the payload in the container, and the effect of the twist fault on the crossover.

The RAIB concluded that the pallets had moved during the road journey to the freight terminal where the container was loaded onto the train. Schaeffler Automotive, the company that packed the container, had no processes at the time to ensure that the pallets would not move. The checks and handling methods used by Freightliner, the operator of the terminal, did not detect the offset load.

Although the size of the twist fault did not require the line to be blocked to traffic, Network Rail^s processes for track inspection and maintenance had not identified that it existed.

The RAIB has made five recommendations, one directed to the Health and Safety Executive, two to Freightliner and two to Network Rail. They are concerned with:
- making relevant parties aware of the need to pack freight containers in accordance with published guidance, and gaining assurance that this is being done;
- the detection of at-risk freight containers and wagons before they enter traffic;
- the detection of track geometry defects after mechanised maintenance; and
- minimising the formation of track geometry defects during mechanised maintenance.

[eightf48544]

 "minimising the formation of track geometry defects during mechanised maintenance."

Interesting comment I thought modern track machines were suppose to line everything up with lasers etc.

[thetrout]

I'll sshush about further signalling problems between Slough and Paddington today..................

[TaplowGreen]

....how about this for a new FGW^▸ (First Great Western) slogan...."every day, another delay"!!! 

[broadgage]

....how about this for a new FGW^▸ (First Great Western) slogan...."every day, another delay"!!! 

It is begining to look rather like that !
Many of the delays are not actually the fault of FGW, but that is of little interest to those being routinely and significantly delayed.

In another thread, someone complained about the delay in obtaining buses for substitute road transport, and a respected member pointed out that it was unreasonable to have a fleet of buses on standby "just in case"


Over the last few months, a fleet of buses if available would probably have seen regular use ! Rain, snow, overunning engineering work, more snow, new signalling does not work, more rain, old signalling does not work, derailed freight train, another signalling failure and so on.

And looking to the future, we have electrifaction to look foward to, no trains in windy weather as the wires will come down and/or be struck by wind blown debris.
And new signalling, which has caused problems in the past.
And new trains with more to go wrong !

[eightf48544]

And looking to the future, we have electrifaction to look foward to, no trains in windy weather as the wires will come down and/or be struck by wind blown debris.
And new signalling, which has caused problems in the past.
And new trains with more to go wrong !

How right you are broadgauge.

Three major changes to be implemented at the same time.

Don't forget with the modern software controlled railway you not only have to get the physical infrastructure in place, i.e.  wires, signals and trains you have to ensure that the software controlling each system can interoperate.

The power supply has to to interact with the trains power controls whilst not interfering with the signalling. Whilst  the train also has to interact with the signalling system.

Don't forget that there are still? (or until very recently) mechanical signal boxes and absolute block on the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) which apart from colout light signals remain virtually the same as steam days even though they are now signalling second generation electric trains.

You don't have to change everything at once.

[GBM]

"A fleet of busses on standby".

Would be good to have ONE on standby for replacement within the bus network here.
Around two years ago, all bus depots (in this area) were told they could only have the current number required for service in that depot - no spare(s).  This was to reduce road tax, insurance & maintenance costs (I believe).
When a vehicle goes down now, something has to give, so busses are swapped around at no notice, and runs sometimes dropped.
Rail replacement is usually done at weekends when the bus schedules are not as intensive, so the "weekday" busses are used for rail.
Drivers volunteer for rail, though that presents it's own problem with EU^» (European Union - about)/domestic driving hours being involved.
It seems there are spare busses available, but a case has to be made for one or two to become available - so I've heard.

[SandTEngineer]

The train was formed of 25 container-carrying flat wagons. The wagon that derailed was the 24th from the front. It was carrying a single freight container on the trailing end, which was packed with 13 pallets of automotive components, each weighing approximately 1300 kg. On opening the container, the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) found that all the pallets were unsecured and had moved to the side, resulting in uneven loading of the wagon. A survey of the track revealed a geometry defect (a twist fault) close to the point of derailment.

.....mmm.  Strikingly ( ) similar to this incident at Watford on 23 January 1975 http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=765

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/largeeventimages/event1410_1.jpg
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/largeeventimages/event1410_2.jpg
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/largeeventimages/event1410_3.jpg
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/mastereventimages/event1410_4.jpg