Near miss with track workers to be investigated

The track workers involved were walking back to Bookham station through the tunnel at the time of the near miss

A near miss involving three track workers and a passenger train in Surrey is to be investigated.

At about 11:45 BST on 29 April, a train operated by South Western Railway was involved in the incident at Bookham Tunnel.

Upon hearing the approaching train, two of the track workers entered refuges built into the tunnel walls, while the third worker leant against the tunnel wall as the train passed.

The workers, who were not hurt, had been walking back to Bookham station after completing work on the telephones located at either end of the tunnel.

A line blockage had been arranged with the signaller to stop trains from running through the tunnel, but it was later discovered that this had been arranged for the nearby Mickleham Tunnel and did not cover Bookham Tunnel.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch, which investigates independently, will look to identify the sequence of events which led to the incident.

It will also investigate the actions of those involved, the way in which the work was planned and any underlying management factors.