Lorry driver error led to train collision, report finds
The Northern train collided with the lorry's front-left stabiliser, the RAIB report said
At a glance
The driver was loading toilets onto his lorry when the collision happened, a rail accident report said
He had parked his lorry too close to the line, with a stabilising leg being struck by an approaching train
Damage was caused to both the train and the lorry
Nobody was injured in the crash, the report added
- Published
A lorry driver inexperienced in working near railways caused a crash involving a commuter train, a report has found.
The crash happened as the driver was loading portable toilets onto the back of his flatbed lorry alongside the line near Penistone station, South Yorkshire, in August.
A train departing the station collided with a stabiliser leg of the lorry causing damage, however nobody was injured, the report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, external (RAIB) found.
The driver of the lorry was unfamiliar with working near railways, the report added.
The Northern service was travelling at about 27mph (43 km/h) between Huddersfield and Sheffield on 27 August when the collision happened.
The lorry operator had been removing portable toilet units next to the track, but the vehicle's stabilising leg was positioned too close to the line, the report said.
The stabiliser leg was hit despite the train driver applying the brakes, but none of the train's crew or 25 passengers were hurt.
Contractors working on track renewal near the crash had been responsible for managing the site.
The report added that the haulage company responsible for the toilets had been let onto the site, next to the line, by a contractor.
The lorry driver "did not consider how close the stabiliser leg was to the nearest running line" when he positioned the lorry and set it up for the lifting operation, according to the report.
He had no experience of working next to an open railway line and thought no trains were running because he had been let straight into the site by a member of staff.
The haulage company involved did not carry out a risk assessment for working near to a railway line, the RAIB added.
The report concluded that the accident demonstrated the importance of organisations following correct procedures so visitors were "appropriately managed and supervised when they are lineside".
It added that organisations should having a clear understanding of the requirements necessary when work was taking place within the boundary of the railway.
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