Neville Hill Azuma collision report Crediton to Okehampton upgraded for passengers
THE RAIL Accident Investigation Branch has published its report into the collision between a Class 800/1 Azuma and a Class 43 HST power car at Neville Hill Depot on November 13, 2019. The incident occurred at 2141 when an empty LNER Intercity Express Train, approaching the maintenance depot at Neville Hill in Leeds, caught up to and collided with the rear of an LNER HST moving into the depot. The leading train was travelling at around 5 mph and the colliding train at around 15 mph. No one was injured in the accident, but the trailing bogie of the second and third vehicles and the trailing wheelset of the fourth vehicle of the Class 800/1 derailed to the right by up to 1.25m.
The report outlines that the collision occurred because the driver of the Class 800/1 was focused on reinstating an onboard system that he had recently isolated, instead of on the driving task. This was exacerbated by his unintentionally commanding of too much acceleration due to his lack of familiarity with the train. The driver had isolated the onboard system at Leeds station because he had been unable to set up the train management system (TMS) correctly. This was because ambiguous documentation from Hitachi, the train manufacturer, had led to LNER misunderstanding the required process for setting up the TMS when it was developing the content of its driver training programme. The driver’s lack of adequate familiarity with the train probably arose because LNER had not recognised that his training needs were greater than those required by his peers.
The derailment of the Azuma’s coaches occurred because the type’s design is susceptible to derailment in low-speed collisions. This susceptibility is related to the use of high-strength couplers which have great freedom of movement in pitch and yaw. These features were part of the train’s design. However, their impact on the train’s resistance to derailment and lateral displacement in low-speed collisions, was not considered by the train’s designers.
The crashworthiness standard used to design the Intercity Express Train (IET) did not specifically require consideration of the likelihood of derailment during collisions at lower than the 22.5 mph specified design speed, nor did it include specific criteria for assessing the derailment performance. As such, the assessment and validation of the design did not identify any issues with these design features.
NETWORK RAIL has been working on upgrades to the Crediton to Okehampton line in readiness for the introduction of regular passenger services between Exeter and Okehampton, which was confirmed by the Government in early December 2020. NR engineers have been working along the branch on the section from Coleford Jn to Meldon Quarry, currently owned by Aggregate Industries, but expected to transfer to NR.
Engineers have been seen checking various bridges and structures, the disused platform
The RAIB has made five recommendations. Two are addressed to LNER and relate to correcting its understanding of the setup of the TMS and ensuring that the documentation provided by Hitachi has not led to any other safety issues. The other recommendations include Hitachi revisiting the assessment of the design of the IET against the requirements of the crashworthiness standard and for LNER assessing the risk of a derailment of an IET involved in a low-speed collision. Finally, the Rail Safety Standards Board is to consider whether it is appropriate for the crashworthiness standard to be modified.
The damaged vehicles from Class 800/1 Azuma 800109 were repaired at Wolverton Works and returned to the Hitachi facility at Newton Aycliffe before they resumed service with LNER. at Yeoford has been cleared of trees and bushes, and sleepers have been replaced along the branch to bring standards up to those required for running regular passenger trains. A continuous welded rail was dropped around the former Bow Station on November 21, 2020, with more set to be delivered. It has been suggested that GWR services on the route will commence with the May 2021 timetable change. Regular trains on the line ceased on June 5, 1972, although since 1997 limited trains have run on summer Sundays.