Driver Travelled 75mph Over 3 Sets Of 25mph Points

Just thought I’d share this now more info released. Impressed train coped and didn’t derail. Testament to design.

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk...er-speed-limit-injuring-15-passengers-3689948

 

Thanks for sharing that with us as I remember when it happened and until now hadn't seen anything since.

 

Well, 3 * 25 = 75. The math checks out.

 

Wow, what a half arsed piece of journalism...
From what I've read (from better sources than that) there was a diversion in place on the day and the Lumo train would normally have continued on the fast line through Peterborough but that day had to switch over to the slow tracks
The driver either was not aware (or forgot) and thus drove at line speed across the points, thus 75 in a 25.

Testament to the 800s that it didn't smash into anything, fall fully off the tracks etc

 

Local rag ARuscoe . We're lucky they pulled a sentence together to be fair

 

In metric 75 mph is 120 kmh since 40*3 = 120 US UK MPH 25*3=75. US NTSB reports call points as switches. This train did not get Stop Signal Overrun the US NTSB Terminology for a UK RAIB Rail Accident Investigations Branch Signal Passed at Danger SPAD

 

It didn't SPAD as it has signal to proceed, just not at the speed it was

 

One of those times the human brain sees what it's expecting to see (Through lines) rather than what it actually saw. There's been a lot of research in to this. A sensible option would be to fit Speed based TPWS on approach, so if the junction is set for the loop and the train is above a speed where it would get down to 25 in time it will trip the emergency brakes.

In this case approach control was slowing the train down in advance. The driver probably assumed they were following something and when the red cleared to green they guessed that might have been looped for them to overtake and opened the throttle when in fact it was for the loop's lower limit - 80x on Electric can get up to linespeed very quickly!

 

Or (God forbid) abandon route signaling for speed signaling and not rely on fallible human memory.

 

This is probably another good argument as to why the UK needs speed-based signalling. That couldn’t happen in Germany as PZB would have alerted the driver well in time.

 

Will be rolling out with ETCS - the line in question is in the early stages of fitment, I don't know when Peterborough is planned to be done as they are starting from the London end (Northern City Line - which still uses 1970s kit with Tube style Trainstops) and will be expanding as kit comes up for renewal