Near miss between Totnes and Newton Abbot
Near miss with a track worker between Totnes and Newton Abbot, Devon, 13 March 2024.
Forward-facing CCTV footage from incident train (courtesy of GWR).
At around 10:44 hrs on 13 March 2024, a Great Western Railway train travelling at around 50 mph (80 km/h) was involved in a near miss with a track worker on the Up Main line shortly after leaving Totnes station in Devon.
The track worker involved in the near miss was the controller of site safety (COSS) for a team which was undertaking work adjacent to the Up Main line. At the time of the incident, the COSS was assessing if there was enough clearance on the side of the railway for the team to continue using the separated system of work which had been planned for the task.
We have undertaken a preliminary examination into the circumstances surrounding this incident. Having assessed the evidence which has been gathered to date, we have decided to publish a safety digest.