At around 20:53 hrs on 6 February 2024, a passenger train travelling between Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich derailed after striking trees that had fallen across the track from outside the railway boundary. The train was travelling at 83 mph (134 km/h) when the collision occurred.
The impact with the trees caused the leading wheelset to derail. It subsequently ran on the sleepers and ballast for around 680 metres before the train came to a stop, as a result of the driver's emergency brake application. There were 31 passengers and 2 staff on the train. One passenger reported suffering a minor injury.
Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events that led to the accident. It will also consider:
- the arrangements in place to manage and control the risks from trees falling on to the railway from outside the railway boundary
- the structural crashworthiness performance of the cab during the collision
- the performance of the train in remaining aligned with the track while running derailed
- any underlying management factors.
Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry's regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.
We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
