Rail Report Discussion: Freight Collision, Doncaster 2022

The RAIB Report can be referred here. All rights reserved to Crown copyright 2023. R082023_230803_Loversall_Carr_Junction

The cause of the accident is that the driver failed to break, most likely due to micro-sleep (my guess). Previously he only had to drive to work for six minutes, but ‘new’ work arrangement needed him to drive for one hour, before starting his work on the train. Also there is a bit of uncommon move by the signaller, by holding the front train 4E82 on the section, which the driver did not expect. I assume it is kinda when you take a slip road off the highway/motorways and sees a car parked there. Add to that, you have been working all night long.

From what I read and understand, the driver was negligent in a few ways. I do not know whether this is something serious or just viewed as a norm but they are:

• Driver started driving early 46 minutes.
• Driver didn’t do a brake test, as recorded by on-train data recorder.
• Driver overspeed (for a freight) – I don’t understand why TPWS didn’t trigger but I assume it is lower than the speed limit for passenger train, or the overspeed was in between TPWS
• Driver reacted to the AWS warning, without focusing on the aspect.
  The last point might just be automatic reaction and not negligence, maybe?

What I like about the report that it also list down all the environment factors, and states that they do not have impact to the cause of the accident. For example the direction of the sun made it not possible for glare on the signal to be a cause.

In the end though, the main cause is lack of sleep. What I can see, the driver was very sleepy because:

1. He had been working night shift for a few days (five)
2. His house had some work or renovation ongoing, so he can’t sleep during the day much
3. He had a new pillow. Sounds silly but it does impact our sleep, right? I always have problem when sleeping in hotels.
4. He didn’t nap while waiting for his train, as he thinks it is not allowed.
5. He has sleep apnea. The kind of snore where you stop or have problem breathing.

What Could Have Been Worse?

1. The freight could have crashed against a passenger train. The section is used mainly by freight but passenger train does travel through. Maybe since it was early in the morning, this didn’t happen.
2. It could have been a head on collision. The impact could have been worse if both are moving in different direction. However, for this to happen, both of the drivers need to Signal Pass At Danger.
3. It could have been a side collision. Still bad, (or even worse if they are in opposite directions, and the 4E11 hit the 4E82 while it is travelling across Loversall Carr Junction, and sending/fouling it across to other trains moving towards Grantham – seems implausible and I have no idea whether a signaller would call that route).
4. Train 4E82 could have been carrying explosives, flammable or toxic materials.

Impact

Fortunately no one was injured. The driver was admitted to the hospital and was discharged the same day.

The track however was closed for 26 days! No idea how crucial the closed section is to the operation and whether trains can bypass through other routes or not, but it is still a long time for the track to be closed, due to just one minute of ‘lack of awareness’.

Thank you for reading.