The
Rail
Accident
Investigation
Branch


has
confirmed
that
there
were
two
blocked
sander
hoses
on
a
Class
158
unit
involved
in
a
fatal
head-on
collision
in
mid-Wales
last
year. 

A
train
heading
west
failed
to
stop
within
a
passing
loop
at
Talerddig
on
21
October,
ran
through
the
points
at
the
far
end
and
collided
with
an
oncoming
train.

There
were
31
people
on
board
the
westbound
train,
including
the
driver,
guard
and
another
member
of
railway
staff.
One
passenger
died
and
three
other
people
were
seriously
hurt,
including
the
guard.
The
driver
of
the
eastbound
train
was
also
seriously
injured,
and
became
trapped
in
the
cab.

The
driver
of
the
westbound
train
had
made
an
emergency
brake
application
without
success,
and
managed
to
warn
passengers
that
a
collision
was
imminent.

When
the
westbound
train
overran
the
points
at
the
far
end
of
the
loop
it
was
on
a
descending
gradient,
and
the
collision
occurred
at
a
combined
speed
of
50
km/h
(30
mph),
damaging
both
units
as
well
as
causing
the
casualties.
The
eastbound
train
was
pushed
back
about
35
metres
by
the
impact.

Weather
forecasters
had
warned
that
rail
adhesion
in
the
Talerddig
area
was
likely
to
be
‘moderate
or
poor’
on
the
day
in
question,
because
3
to
4
per
cent
of
the
season’s
leaves
were
likely
to
be
on
the
ground
and
more
were
expected
to
fall
during
the
day
because
of
high
winds
associated
with
Storm
Ashley.

The
unit
with
the
faulty
sanders
should
have
been
stabled
at
Crewe
depot
overnight,
but
because
some
services
had
been
disrupted
it
actually
spent
the
night
in
a
platform
at
Chester.
This
meant
that
the
driver
could
not
reach
equipment
on
the
train’s
underframe
at
the
start
of
duty,
and
the
sander
test
button
could
not
be
checked.

As
well
as
the
blocked
sander
hoses,
an
electrical
fault
had
also
prevented
the
automatic
sander
from
working,
while
the
orifice
plates,
which
are
part
of
the
sander
pneumatic
system,
were
found
to
have
been
installed
incorrectly.
However,
it
is
not
clear
whether
electrical
faults
had
been
caused
by
the
collision,
or
occurred
when
the
trains
were
being
removed
from
the
collision
site.

The
report
is
an
interim
one,
and
the
RAIB’s
investigation
is
continuing.

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