Derailment of a freight train at Audenshaw
Investigation into the derailment of a freight train at Audenshaw, Manchester, 6 September 2024.
Derailed wagons on the bridge.
At around 11:25 on 6 September 2024, a freight train travelling between Peak Forest and Salford derailed as it passed over a bridge in Audenshaw, Manchester.
The train involved was made up of 2 class 66 locomotives and 24 wagons, which were loaded with aggregate. The 2 locomotives and the leading 10 wagons passed safely over the bridge, but the next 9 wagons derailed, with the last of the derailed wagons coming to a stand on the bridge itself.
No injuries were caused by the accident. However, the derailment caused substantial damage to railway infrastructure and damaged some of the wagons involved.
Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events that led to the accident. It will also consider:
- the condition of the infrastructure at the time of the derailment
- the status and condition of the wagons involved
- 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.
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