Train misses track worker by one second

Grant Prior 9 years ago
Share

The Rail Accident Investigation Board has launched a probe after a track worker dodged death by just one second in Hampshire.

CCTV in the driver's cab shows the worker ahead on the tracks
CCTV in the driver's cab shows the worker ahead on the tracks

The driver of the London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour narrowly missed hitting the Network Rail employee who was checking a reported track defect.

The worker was not injured but was badly shaken by the incident last month.

He was part of a team of three carrying out rail inspections and maintenance near Shawford station using GPS equipment.

While crossing he stopped and stood still in the centre track as he became distracted by the GPS equipment.

At the same time a train was approaching at about 80 mph around a right-hand bend.

The driver sounded his horn and made an emergency brake application.

The track worker only began to move when the train was about two seconds away and moved clear about one second before the train passed him.

The train driver reported the near miss to the signaller. Neither the track worker, nor another member of the team who was walking towards him along the side of the railway, reported the near miss at the time.

The incident was not reported to the RAIB at the time.

The investigation will identify the sequence of events that led to the incident. It will also consider:

  • why no protection was in place when the track worker went onto the tracks
  • how the work was planned
  • any factors which may have influenced the actions of the team
  • any underlying management factors.

 

Latest news

HS2 Curzon Street station redesign approved as timber roof axed

Change to meet stricter fire safety rules and cut maintenance costs
2 hours ago

Care home fire trial collapses

Prosecution withdrawn against four firms including Morgan Sindall Property Services
24 hours ago

Leicester rebids £22m station revamp after failed tender race

Council opts for ECI route after receiving one bid for project
3 hours ago

Kier wins East Coast College rebuild job in Great Yarmouth

Work to start this summer for 1,300-student college
3 hours ago

R G Carter wins £28m hospital car park job in King’s Lynn

MSCP paves way for £1.5bn Queen Elizabeth Hospital rebuild in 2027
3 hours ago

London to relax green belt building rules

Sadiq Khan shifts position on planning
3 hours ago

Willmott Dixon wins Great Yarmouth waterfront deal

North Quay 10.5 acres mixed-use scheme to advance
23 hours ago

SIG chief quits to join Travis Perkins

Gavin Slark to leave by the end of this year
4 hours ago

Eight take key spots on £250m Prosper framework

Housing and public building upkeep deal for North East awarded
24 hours ago

Early call-out for £150m Ebbsfleet Garden City infrastructure

Bidders day to set out plan for Ebbsfleet Central commercial scheme
2 days ago

McLaren storms April contracts league with flurry of wins

Cardiff Bay Arena job headlines a series of big contract wins
1 day ago

Balfour Beatty lifts cash forecast after strong first quarter

Contractor set to hit £1bn average monthly net cash in 2025
1 day ago

Goldman Sachs-owned Adler & Allan buys 180-strong civils outfit

West Country's Glanville Environmental gets new owner
1 day ago

Caddick lands first contract for £200m Skelmersdale revamp

Developer gets green light for masterplan
1 day ago

Van Elle sells HGV fleet to haulage firm

WS Specialist Logistics pays £2.9m to take on fleet and drivers
1 day ago

Buyers more bullish about prospects for year ahead

Residential "resilient" but commercial work a weak spot
2 days ago

Council backs first Brutalist car park-to-flats scheme

Newcastle-under-Lyme multi-storey car park to be reborn as pioneering homes scheme
2 days ago

Hinkley Point C hits peak build with 26,000 jobs

3,000 more workers to join as fit-out work ramps up
2 days ago

Over 40 firms win Wessex Water M&E minor works deal

Broad sweep of specialists picked for AMP8 programme
2 days ago

Spencer lands Scottish bridge hat-trick

Steelwork, gantries and bearing upgrades on Kessock, Forth and Tay crossings
3 days ago

Winners revealed for £1.5bn decarbonisation deal

Fusion21 confirms places for 40 firms: Full list
2 days ago

Cladding firm fined £225,000 after fatal fall

Court hears how cherry picker didn't reach all parts of repair job
2 days ago

Completed buildings caught-up in Gateway 2 chaos

Developer distraught after dealing with Building Safety Regulator
3 days ago

Aviva submits plans for 34-storey City office tower

Subject to planning work to start in autumn 2027
3 days ago

Murphy takes 40% stake in Aussie civils contractor

Firm enters Australasian market with stake in Sydney-based contractor Abergeldie
4 days ago

Moat seeks firm for £420m repairs and maintenance deal

15-year deal to upkeep 20,000 south east homes
3 days ago

Lynch takes over hotel for Sizewell plant operators

Hire giant now in the hotel business to guarantee accommodation for workers
3 days ago

Subcontractors wanted across Scotland

Latest Constructionline event in Glasgow: Register now
3 days ago

Six guilty of £2m bribery over Devon housing site deals

Corrupt building bosses and E.ON project chief and QS sentenced
1 week ago

1,650 former ISG staff launch legal claims

Redundancy Payment Service facing payout of more than £9m
1 week ago

Contractor services