Ladbroke Grove rail crash facts for kids

The Ladbroke Grove rail crash was a serious railway accident that happened near Paddington station in London on 5 October 1999. It was early in the morning when two trains collided: one from Thames Trains and another from First Great Western.

What Happened?

At 8:06 AM, a Thames Trains service, called a "Thames Turbo" (which had three carriages), left London Paddington railway station. It was heading to Bedwyn in Wiltshire.

Near a place called Ladbroke Grove Junction, trains usually switch tracks. The Thames Turbo train was supposed to stop at a red signal, but it didn't. This is known as a "Signal Passed at Danger" (SPAD).

Because it didn't stop, the Thames Turbo crashed almost head-on with a First Great Western train. This second train was a powerful High Speed Train (HST) with eight coaches and two engines, coming from Cheltenham Spa in Gloucestershire.

The front part of the Thames Turbo train was completely destroyed. The front engine of the High Speed Train was also badly damaged. Fuel from the Thames Turbo spilled and caught fire. This caused more fires, especially in one of the High Speed Train's coaches, which burned completely.

Both train drivers sadly died in the crash. In total, 31 people lost their lives. Most of them (24) were on the Thames Turbo, and 6 were on the High Speed Train. One person died because of the fire. Many people were also hurt; 523 people were injured, and 227 of them needed hospital treatment.

Why Did It Happen?

The main reason for the crash was that the Thames Turbo train went past a red signal without stopping. There was an amber signal before it, which should have warned the driver to get ready to stop. Since the driver died, it was hard to know exactly why he didn't stop. An official investigation was led by Lord Cullen in 2000.

Things That Contributed to the Crash

Lord Cullen's investigation found several things that helped cause the accident:

• Hard to See the Signal: The signal was difficult for the driver to see. It was very early in the morning, and the low sun made the amber signal hard to notice. Also, new overhead power lines for the Heathrow Express trains made the signals even harder to spot.
• Driver Training: The Thames Turbo driver had only recently finished his training, just 13 days before the crash. His trainer hadn't taught him about this specific route. There also wasn't a clear way to test drivers at Thames Trains.
• Safety System Off: The Thames Turbo had a safety system called ATP (Automatic Train Protection). This system could have stopped the train automatically if it passed a red signal. However, the ATP system on both trains was switched off. Even though it was suggested after an earlier crash at Clapham Junction, many train companies didn't require it to be on because it sometimes caused delays.

After the Crash

After the crash, there were legal actions and changes:

• On 5 April 2004, Thames Trains was fined £2 million for not following health and safety rules.
• On 31 October 2006, Network Rail (the company that manages the railway tracks) was fined £4 million and had to pay an extra £225,000 for breaking safety laws.
• The damaged parts of both trains were taken out of service. However, the back carriage of the Thames Turbo train is now used for spare parts.
• A special memorial garden was created near Paddington station to remember those who died.

Images for kids

• 

  No. 43186 at London Paddington. This power car is in the Great Western Trains livery of the time, similar to the HST involved in the accident.

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  No.165119 at Didcot Parkway. The Thames Trains unit was painted in its original Network SouthEast livery similar to this one.

See also

In Spanish: Accidente ferroviario de Paddington de 1999 para niños