RAIB issues recommendations after road-rail runaway

A road-rail vehicle ran away while being on-tracked near Belle Isle Junction, in north London, because it had entered service with ineffective rail-wheel brakes.

That’s according to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and its report into the incident, which occurred at around 0330 on May 16 2021.

With staff unable to stop the runaway, the RRV ran downhill for approximately 600 metres before coming to a stop in a tunnel. No one was injured, but the RRV operator was forced to jump from the moving vehicle before it entered the tunnel.

RAIB said the cause of the runaway was a valve in the braking system being left open following maintenance.

It added that the possibility of this happening had not been recognised during the design or risk assessment of the brake system, and that the situation had not been identified during operation or regular in-service testing.

RAIB has recommended that the company which designed and fitted the direct rail wheel braking system revises its process for risk assessment.

A second recommendation has been made to the RRV owner to review its strategy for confirming the ongoing integrity of the braking system.