Fire rages on oil train
Oil train blaze and derailment closes line in South Wales; residents evacuated and local river contaminated.
INVESTIGATORS are piecing together evidence from August
26’s 2152 Robeston-Theale oil train that derailed at 2317 at Morlais Junction in South Wales, triggering a fierce fire from its load of diesel and gas oil.
On August 28, a statement by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said the train consisted of 25 tank wagons. Each carried up to 75 tons of diesel or gas oil for Puma Energy. RAIB said ten wagons derailed (the third to the 12th in the train).
The train was operated by DB Cargo. The derailment occurred on the Up District line, which has a line speed of 50mph and is under the control of Port Talbot signal box.
The fire forced the evacuation of local residents and continued to burn for some time, with the Mid and West Wales Fire Service only handing the site over to Network Rail and the British Transport Police on the morning of August 28.
NR then drained the overturned wagons of their loads and started work to recover them. The front two wagons were taken by rail to Margam on August 31, and the rear 14 to Llandeilo Junction.
NR moved a Kirow rail crane from Eastleigh to Llandeilo
Junction on August 31, and then to the derailment scene on September 1, with NR hoping to lift four of the stricken wagons by the time this issue of RAIL went to press. NR spokesman Dean Shaw said the line would remain closed until further notice.
On August 27, BTP Superintendent Andy Morgan said: “We have launched an investigation and will be assisting the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to establish the exact circumstances behind the incident.
“What we know is a freight train, carrying large amounts of diesel oil, caught fire and a number of its wagons also derailed. Thankfully, despite the clear danger, no injuries have been reported. The two members of railway staff operating the train were able to raise the alarm and uncouple the locomotive and move it to a safe space.”
BTP followed this with a short statement on August 30, saying that it did not suspect criminal activity to be involved with the accident.
Realtime Trains logged the train at Morlais Junction at 2303, running 58 minutes early having left Robeston 44 minutes before its booked time.
Following the derailment, DB Cargo 66004 moved the rear 12 wagons back towards Llangennech station to keep them clear of the fire. The driver of the derailed train moved two wagons and locomotive 60062 Stainless Pioneer forward immediately after the accident, with help from another member of staff.
The accident forced the cancellation of Transport for Wales passenger services between Llanelli and Llandrindod on the Heart of Wales Line. Between Llandrindod and
Craven Arms the line was already closed, following a landslip on August 12. As a result, TfW ran minibuses and coaches between Swansea and Shrewsbury.
The derailment also blocked the Swansea District Line, which acts as a second route between Briton Ferry and Llandeilo Junction to supplement the
South Wales Main Line via Swansea. Its main users are freight trains.
Fuel leaking from the train reached the nearby
River Loughor and has contaminated the surrounding area, which is a site of special scientific interest and an environmental conservation area.