Croydon tram crash: More speed restrictions likely say investigators

Seven people died and 51 were injured when a tram derailed in Croydon in November

The investigation into the Croydon tram crash is likely to call for increased measures to prevent trams from speeding at high-risk locations, it is claimed.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said it expects to make the recommendation in its final report into the crash later this year.

The Croydon tram crash left seven people dead and 51 injured on 9 November last year.

The RAIB will also urge tram operators to improve passenger safety.

It is also expected to commission research into how the alertness of tram drivers can be checked after several drivers were caught asleep at the controls of trams.

RAIB is aiming to release its final report within a year of the accident, but warned the publication date is "subject to a number of factors".

New safety measures

London's Transport Commissioner Mike Brown said a number of additional safety measures had been introduced to the Croydon tram network since the derailment, including more speed restrictions, new signage for drivers and an upgraded CCTV system.

An in-cab vigilance system is being trialled and is expected to be fitted to all trams by the autumn to alert drivers if distraction or fatigue is detected, he added.

He said: "We continue to work with the wider tram industry on these improvements and will consider any further measures that could be introduced to improve safety."

Around 70 passengers were on the two-carriage tram when it came off the tracks, overturned and slid for 25 metres.

An interim accident report found it was travelling at 46mph as it entered a sharp bend at Sandilands Junction, which had a 13mph limit.

The late application of the brakes, and the absence of emergency braking, suggested the driver had "lost awareness", according to RAIB.

The driver, Alfred Dorris, 42, from Beckenham, south-east London, was arrested at the scene and questioned on suspicion of manslaughter.

He has been bailed until September.