Near miss at Dereham, MNR

[TRP]

The RAIB has published a Safety Digest relating to a near miss at Dereham, Mid Norfolk Railway. Whilst unloading the middle vehicle of newly arrived 3-car Pacer DMU No.144018, it ran away and crashed through the level crossing gate, reportedly missing a pedestrian by 8 seconds. The incident took place on 10th December last year.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-december-2020

Tony

[Beeyar Wunby]

Thanks for that interesting read Tony.

It's easy to be knowledgeable after the event, but you can't help but wonder why nobody considered a back up plan for if the winch cable separated from the vehicle.

On the Big Railway, traincrew have all sorts of rules about how to operate unbraked vehicles. The Rulebook states that you should never have a 'swinger' on the outside of the formation, or in a position where it can run away onto the main line. For the loading/unloading of road trailers it would make sense if there were a place with a dead-end siding containing buffer stops to catch any veheicle that rolls away, rather than an open line with access to the main line.

It appears from the preliminary report that the MNR left the contractor to 'do their own thing', which is understandable, but it's the MNR's responsibility to run trains, and their Safety Case which could take a knock. Clearly a member of MNR traincrew should be there in future to safeguard the initial movement onto or off railway infrastructure.

RAIB has hinted that it may introduce new rules to deal with this. Road/Rail exchanges are on the increase due to increase of heritage operations, and maybe for once RAIB can make this safer before someone gets killed?

This was a very lucky escape!

Cheers, John

[TRP]

I've seen photos/videos of stock being unloaded using barrier wagons and a diesel (or sometimes steam) shunter effectively pulling the vehicle off the trailer - with the benefit of hindsight, this would surely have prevented this runaway in this case.
Having said that, on the Train Truckers TV series following the work of Allely's, I recall that most of the loading and unloading was undertaken using only the winch cable.

Tony

[Beeyar Wunby]

Originally Posted by TRP

......on the Train Truckers TV series following the work of Allely's, I recall that most of the loading and unloading was undertaken using only the winch cable.

Yep I agree Tony.

Not really a problem if it's done in a quiet corner. But it shouldn't occur where there's a chance, however slight, of the vehicle rolling into an area where there are people or out onto a running line.

I have a modicum of sympathy for the truck drivers. They turn up to a site in order to collect or deliver a heavy loco or a carriage, and are effectively at the 'mercy' of whatever the railway provides them with. The Rulebook should make the railway operators provide a SAFE environment.

H&S regs already require this, but it should be written into every preserved railway's operating procedures.

I think also that the railway should designate a qualified 'Movement Supervisor' (or whatever) with full authority & responsibility for the rail vehicle. They should know about train rigging and brakes - the truck driver is only there to get the the loco/carriage on and off his trailer.

Trains are far more complicated than the layman realises, and they require specialist knowledge. It's not rocket science, but even a 'little' carrriage can weigh 20 tonnes and if it moves when you didn't want it to, people can get hurt.

Fortunately this accident (which it technically is since barrier gates were damaged) has highlited the inadequate procedures that are widespread, before anybody got hurt. That's a good thing.

Cheers, John