26.04.13
Workers stayed on tracks after possession ended
A railway line was left open whilst staff near Dunblane continued to work, an RAIB report highlights.
On 28 October 2012 the line between Stirling and Blackford was authorised to re-open following a possession, despite work on one of four work sites still going on. Seven people continued working for an hour after the line was opened.
No collision occurred, but there were no measures in place to prevent a train from being signalled through.
The person in charge of the possession did not record details of the Ashfield work site and was reportedly under stress from events outside his work. The RAIB also found that the number of work sites increased from three to four just before the possession, which could have led to confusion.
Forms for the timing of possession must always be filled in correctly, the RAIB has urged, and time should be put aside to deal with personal issues that could affect staff performance, particularly on safety critical tasks. Work sites should also be listed in a logical order on possession paperwork to reduce the risk of errors.
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Image c. Alexander Chelmodeev