22.11.18
RAIB, ORR and BTP all launch investigations after rail worker is killed by train
The ORR, RAIB and the BTP have all launched investigations after a railway worker died when he was struck by a train at Stoats Nest Junction, Surrey, in the early hours of 6 November.
The RAIB said it is trying to discover why the worker was killed whilst placing warning lights on the track. The other two bodies will not be releasing statements until findings are published.
The 37-year-old man was contracted to carry out protection duties for engineering works on the railway between Purley and Coulsdon South stations on the mainline from London to Brighton.
Once he had completed his duty, which involved placing red lamps and detonators on two tracks, the staff member was walking south along the slow line when he was struck by a passenger train.
The train, which had crossed over from the down fast line to the down slow line at Stoats Nest junction, was travelling at around 70mph.
The RAIB’s investigation will identify the sequence of events leading up to the accident and try to find a reason why the member of staff was in the place where he was struck.
It will also look into the arrangements in place to protect the worker on his duties, the risk associated with the protection of engineering work on the line, and the management factors in the case.
The RAIB’s investigation is independent of those that will also be carried out by the ORR and the BTP.
Last month the rail investigations body examined another incident involving two track workers who were almost hit by a train whilst working on bridge near Dundee. No one was injured, but the RAIB found there was a mix-up between a number of people not realising that the location of the work and the location of the protection of the work were different.
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