Norwich to Sheringham train in 'near miss' due to leaves on the line

There were "heavy deposits of leaf debris" on the tracks near New Rackheath level crossing

A train almost hit two cars on a level crossing due to leaves on the line, an investigation in Norfolk found.

The cars were crossing the tracks at New Rackheath on 24 November 2019 because the barriers had not come down.

That Norwich to Sheringham train missed them by less than half a second.

A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report said barrier sensors were not working properly because leaves had not been cleared and "only luck" had prevented an accident previously.

The investigation found the surface of the rails (railhead) had heavy deposits of leaf debris that Sunday, because there were no railhead treatment trains on that line at weekends.

A change in the type of train using the line also exposed a weakness in the way the crossing's electronic control equipment was configured.

It misinterpreted the train's position when its wheels were not making good electrical contact with the rails, which meant the barriers had lifted.

'Poor' engineering

RAIB chief inspector, Simon French, said: "In this alarming event, deficiencies in the way the railway equipment operated placed two car drivers, and the people on a passenger train, in deadly danger through no fault of their own.

"Our investigation found the installation... was a poor piece of engineering which had been in use for several years, and only luck had previously prevented an accident."

Greater Anglia CCTV footage shows how close the two cars came to being hit

The RAIB made three recommendations regarding the planning of railhead treatment, guidance on the introduction of new trains and the configuration control of signalling equipment.

Network Rail and Greater Anglia said track cleaning was being carried out more often and more trees near the line were being cut back.

A joint statement from the two rail companies said: "We are confident that the steps we have taken together, and are continuing to take, will prevent a further similar incident."

No-one was hurt in the incident.