1990 Stafford rail crash

The train crash at Stafford, England on 4 August 1990 resulted in the death of a train driver and injuries to 36 people.

The 11:36 pm empty coaching stock train from Stoke-on-Trent to Birmingham Soho TMD ran into the rear of the 10:18 pm express passenger train from Manchester Piccadilly to Penzance, which was standing in platform 4 at Stafford station. The empty train was signalled to draw up behind the express in order to clear the way for another train.^[1]

The driver of the empty train, who was the only fatality, was considered not to have kept a good lookout. This was possibly compounded by excessive working hours and by the alcohol that was subsequently found in his bloodstream.^[2]

The Rule Book was changed to avoid this situation. Now if a train is to be signalled into an occupied section and that train is not booked to call at that location, the driver must be first advised. Also before a train can be signalled behind another, the signal ahead of the stationary train must be at danger until the second train has come to a stand, to avoid potential 'over-reading' of the signal by the second driver.

References

^ Webb, Jonathan (May 2017). "Focus on Stafford". Today's Railways UK. No. 185. Sheffield: Platform 5. pp. 54–55. ISSN 1475-9713.
^ "Railway accident at Stafford" (PDF). railwaysarchive.co.uk. Health and Safety Executive. 5 January 1994. p. 14. Retrieved 16 April 2017.