We can help you claim
compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
In October 2008 the Rail Accident Investigation Branch published their final report into the train accident at Grayrigg, Cumbria on 23rd February 2007.
The accident
On Friday 23rd February 2007 a Virgin West Coast train travelling at the authorised speed of 95mph (153km/h), derailed on 2B points at Lambrigg, near Grayrigg, Cumbria. All nine carriages were derailed. Of the 105 passengers and four crew, one passenger was fatally injured, 28 passengers, the train driver and one crew member were seriously injured, and 59 passengers suffered minor injuries.
Key findings
The derailment was directly caused by malfunction of the 2B points due to failure of the three stretcher bars, the lock stretcher bars and their fastenings, leading to unsafe movement of the switch rail.
The report finds that this occurred as a result of three contributing factors:
All three factors were deemed necessary for the train accident to have occurred.
Underlying factors included a perception that, based on previous performance, risk of derailment from these points was low and Network Rail did not have a complete understanding of the design, maintenance and inspection requirements of the mechanism due to limited application of a risk-based assessment.
Recommendations
Of the 29 safety recommendations made by the RAIB, 21 were directed at Network Rail. A review of the design, maintenance and inspection of points has been called for, along with advanced mitigation of the risk from points in the short term. Recommendations have been issued to Network Rail to address the issues regarding underlying technical and managerial concerns and the difficulties of fatigued staff.
The full report is available at the RAIB website.
Passenger accidents and YouClaim
If you have been involved in a train accident or have sustained personal injury whilst using public transport, you may be entitled to compensation. Call our free UK helpline on 0800 10 757 95 or fill in an online claim form and we will quickly determine whether our experienced personal injury solicitors will be able to help you make a claim.
Alternatively we can look at the details of your claim and thencall you back at a more convenient time.
Making a train accident claim with YouClaim is entirely risk free as we work on a 100% compensation, no win no fee basis. This means, win or lose, you will not have to pay a penny for our services.
