Leighton Buzzard track worker avoids 125mph train by 'a second'

The track worker had been carrying out a survey of trackside vegetation

A railway track worker avoided being hit by a train travelling at 125mph (200kmh) by "about a second", an independent report has found.

The near miss happened on 16 June on the West Coast Main Line between Cheddington and Bletchley stations.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report said the worker had been undertaking a survey of trackside vegetation.

It said the work was undertaken "without Network Rail's knowledge".

Photographic evidence

The RAIB report said Network Rail had been carrying out a tendering process for vegetation management in the area.

Contractor MECX Group Ltd had wanted to use trackside photographs in its bid.

However, Network Rail had been unable to supply them and decided not to allow the contractor to undertake a track walk to take the photos themselves.

Despite this, MECX made arrangements for the work to be done between 16 and 19 June.

The RAIB said MECX "was not able to explain why the work had been approved without Network Rail's knowledge or sanction".

Two track workers were employed and on 16 June were operating close to Leighton Buzzard station.

One of them became distracted "either by his video equipment or his mobile telephone" and "stopped in an area where there was no position of safety", hemmed in by a nearby bridge.

Horn blasted

The report said the track worker "had not made any arrangements for protection from moving trains".

On spotting the man, the train driver had sounded his horn.

The report said the worker moved out of the way, "but not to a defined position of safety, which must be at least two metres from the nearest running rail, about a second before the train reached him".

The train stopped and the two workers were eventually located by Network Rail managers.

The RAIB issued safety messages that included advising Network Rail contractors to ensure "work has been risk assessed" and "that their staff do not go onto the railway without prior agreement".