Train hits tractor and trailer on level crossing, Leominster, 22 May 2025

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

Several persons injured, though reported to be not life threatening.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly3885e58no

[broadgage]

Later reports state that the driver of the tractor was arrested on suspicion "of endangering lives on the railway"
One person taken to hospital by air ambulance, and another by land ambulance, many others treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The train remained on the track and does not look badly damaged. Probably drivable under its own power, at very low speed to a depot for repairs.
The tractor looks still useable. the trailer is substantially destroyed.

IMPORTANT EDIT. Other reports have contradicted my post. Some reports that a signaler was arrested and NOT the tractor driver. See later posts for details. My source was local radio news.

[Clan Line]

From Telegraph.

[UstiImmigrunt]

Rant time.

A major problem at farm crossings all around the UK^▸ (United Kingdom). Too many farmers ignore the safety rules by either leaving gates open, not seeking permission to cross or not confirming afterwards that the gates are closed and the crossing is clear for a train to proceed. And if any livestock is killed on the track it's always the fault of the railway, not the impatient farmer who didn't close the gate(s).

Hopefully this farmer is convicted.

Rant over.

Thankfully very few injuries. The worse case scenario, one train derails and is struck by another train.

[LiskeardRich]

Later reports state that the driver of the tractor was arrested on suspicion "of endangering lives on the railway"
One person taken to hospital by air ambulance, and another by land ambulance, many others treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The train remained on the track and does not look badly damaged. Probably driveable under its own power, at very low speed to a depot for repairs.
The tractor looks still useable. the trailer is substantially destroyed

Nowhere does any report say the tractor driver is the arrested individual. In fact the reported age rules the tractor driver out.

Signaller maybe? Tractor driver called and was given clearance is being reported on a Facebook page I seen earlier today.

[JayMac]

Hopefully this farmer is convicted.

Bit presumptive that. Investigations need to be carried out, parties involved to be questioned, witness statements to be gathered. Rather too early to be blaming any one individual.

[UstiImmigrunt]

Hopefully this farmer is convicted.

Bit presumptive that. Investigations need to carried out, parties involved to be questioned, witness statements to be gathered. Rather too early to blaming any one individual.

99.5% of crossing incidents are caused by the users. As per the rest of the comment I made.

There's no such thing as a dangerous crossing, its the dangerous idiots that use them.

PS There was a collision on that crossing in 2023, what's the betting it was the same idiot user? And failed to learn any lessons?

Once a few farmers are convicted for crossing misuse and insurance premiums go up maybe railway staff and passengers will be a lot safer.

[grahame]

Hopefully this farmer is convicted.

Bit presumptive that. Investigations need to carried out, parties involved to be questioned, witness statements to be gathered. Rather too early to blaming any one individual.

99.5% of crossing incidents are caused by the users. As per the rest of the comment I made.

There's no such thing as a dangerous crossing, its the dangerous idiots that use them.

PS There was a collision on that crossing in 2023, what's the betting it was the same idiot user? And failed to learn any lessons?

Once a few farmers are convicted for crossing misuse and insurance premiums go up maybe railway staff and passengers will be a lot safer.

Over the years, most reports here on the "Coffee shop" but not all of them have turned out to be the obvious ones - in the case of level crossing incidents mostly but not all the road / track user.  Should this turn out to be the fault of a crossing user who should have known better, I would agree with throwing the book at [him/her].  But until the responsibly is confirmed, we should hold fire on passing verdict and certainly on sentence. 

[LiskeardRich]

Hopefully this farmer is convicted.

Bit presumptive that. Investigations need to carried out, parties involved to be questioned, witness statements to be gathered. Rather too early to blaming any one individual.

99.5% of crossing incidents are caused by the users. As per the rest of the comment I made.

There's no such thing as a dangerous crossing, its the dangerous idiots that use them.

PS There was a collision on that crossing in 2023, what's the betting it was the same idiot user? And failed to learn any lessons?

Once a few farmers are convicted for crossing misuse and insurance premiums go up maybe railway staff and passengers will be a lot safer.

You need to be very careful with your defamation of the tractor driver, as it appears he gained authority in this instance, the tractor driver is not the arrested person.

[UstiImmigrunt]

Hopefully this farmer is convicted.

Bit presumptive that. Investigations need to carried out, parties involved to be questioned, witness statements to be gathered. Rather too early to blaming any one individual.

99.5% of crossing incidents are caused by the users. As per the rest of the comment I made.

There's no such thing as a dangerous crossing, its the dangerous idiots that use them.

PS There was a collision on that crossing in 2023, what's the betting it was the same idiot user? And failed to learn any lessons?

Once a few farmers are convicted for crossing misuse and insurance premiums go up maybe railway staff and passengers will be a lot safer.

You need to be very careful with your defamation of the tractor driver, as it appears he gained authority in this instance, the tractor driver is not the arrested person.

Which is why I said 99.5%. There was a nasty incident in Slovakia last year where a level crossing wasn't working after track maintenance. The treadles were left switched off so the red warning lights didn't activate or the barriers lower. Unfortunately several people were killed when a train struck a bus.

In this recent incident I know the CCIL, NR^» (Network Rail - home page) incident log, has been locked so it cannot be generally viewed by NR staff. A previous comment on this thread mentions a information on NoFriendsBook.

We shall wait for the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) to say something.

And no doubt somewhere on the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) rail network today a locally operated crossing wasn't used correctly.

[JayMac]

When you can't be certain of something it's probably best not to double down.

Hoping a farmer is convicted, then the whataboutery from Slovakia... jeez.

[TaplowGreen]

Rant time.

A major problem at farm crossings all around the UK^▸ (United Kingdom). Too many farmers ignore the safety rules by either leaving gates open, not seeking permission to cross or not confirming afterwards that the gates are closed and the crossing is clear for a train to proceed. And if any livestock is killed on the track it's always the fault of the railway, not the impatient farmer who didn't close the gate(s).

Hopefully this farmer is convicted.

Rant over.

Thankfully very few injuries. The worse case scenario, one train derails and is struck by another train.

From the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch)

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/collision-between-a-train-and-an-agricultural-trailer-at-nordan-farm-user-worked-level-crossing?fbclid=IwY2xjawKuC9NleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFBYmZKV0lZWjVVVHJ3VlRPAR5P9niXBe2dPwGakmuwkMHMcQeJD6UFY-ubeAmicBM7V5ZAVdD9ap4q3jU04Q_aem_FbaGDzgW3wnNb6Yb-QGECw

Before leaping to conclusions/convictions, no doubt readers will note "The evidence available to RAIB shows that the driver of the tractor involved in this accident telephoned the signaller before using the crossing".

[ChrisB]

Playing devil's advocate - it doesn't say that he got permission to cross though - don't you think that they'd have added those few words?

[stuving]

Playing devil's advocate - it doesn't say that he got permission to cross though - don't you think that they'd have added those few words?

No. Whether a telephone conversation (which was not recorded) provided "permission" is not the kind of simple fact that can be determined at the outset of an investigation. It is likely to be contentious, and a different interpretation of what went on by the two parties has caused such accidents in the past. In other words, you are looking for evidence of confusion and find that the evidence itself is confused - so you avoid jumping to conclusions.

[Bob_Blakey]

.....which was not recorded.....

Should it have been and the process was not completed for some reason? I would have thought the recording of such a potentially safety critical interaction should be mandatory.